The title of this story from CNN is misleading: CNN poll: Americans don’t like health care bill. Even ignoring the evidence from previous polls that Americans primarily do not like the bill because they do not understand what is actually in it (and support it when they do find out), the poll actually shows majority support for reform. Reading down towards the bottom of the report we find:

Roughly one in five of respondents who said they opposed the bill did so because it was not liberal enough, and those people are unlikely to vote Republican. Take them out of the picture and opposition to the bill because it is too liberal is 43 percent.

In other words, 52 percent either support the current legislation or think it should be more liberal while 43 percent believe the plan is too liberal.

The Capitol dome on the eve of the House of Representatives’ health care reform votes.

Washington (CNN) – A majority of Americans have a dim view of the sweeping health care bill passed by the House, saying it gives Washington too much clout and won’t do much to reduce their own health care costs or federal deficits, according to a new poll released Monday.

A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll found that 59 percent of those surveyed opposed the bill, and 39 percent favored it. All of the interviews were conducted before the House voted Sunday night, but the contents of the bill were widely known.

In addition, 56 percent said the bill gives the government too much involvement in health care; 28 percent said it gives the government the proper role and 16 percent said it leaves Washington with an inadequate role.

On the question of costs, 62 percent said the bill increases the amount of money they personally spend on health care; 21 percent said their costs would remain the same and 16 percent said they would decrease.

The poll’s results about the bill’s fiscal impact were particularly stark: 70 percent of respondents said they believed deficits would go up because of the bill; 17 percent felt they would stay the same and 12 percent said they would go down.

After more than a year of partisan debate, the House voted 219-212 in favor of a bill that the Senate had passed on Christmas Eve. President Obama is expected to sign it on Tuesday.

The measure constitutes the biggest expansion of federal health care guarantees since Medicare and Medicaid were enacted more than four decades ago. The House also approved a series of amendments to the bill through a separate so-called reconciliation bill. The Senate, which must pass the reconciliation measure for the full package to take effect, is expected to vote this week.

According to a preliminary estimate by the Congressional Budget Office, the overall reform legislation would cost $940 billion over the course of a decade. Offsetting provisions would reduce deficits by $143 billion in the first 10 years and by more than $1 trillion in the following decade.

The CNN poll also suggests that public opposition to health care will not necessarily be a boon to Republicans in the 2010 midterm elections in Congress.

Roughly one in five of respondents who said they opposed the bill did so because it was not liberal enough, and those people are unlikely to vote Republican. Take them out of the picture and opposition to the bill because it is too liberal is 43 percent.

“The Democrats have another advantage – most Americans also trust Barack Obama more than the GOP on health care,” said Keating Holland, CNN’s polling director. “That gives the president an opportunity – and seven months – to make the affirmative case for the health care bill.”

The survey was conducted on March 19-21 through telephone interviews with 1,030 adult Americans. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

March 22nd, 2010 3:30 pm ET
I don’t put much faith in this poll, and here are my reasons why.

How many people polled actually took the time to conduct their own research on Health Care Reform (HCR), and formed their own opinion about it, and are not regurgitating someone else’s.

Not that by any means are my observations scientific, but I cannot deny that approximately 85-90% of people that I have talked to about HCR are against it. That in itself is fine, but, when pressed further about the reasons why, the answers I mostly get are,

“Well, Senator says…”

or,

“On the radio/TV said…”

or

“Governor tells us…”

When I asked those same people,

“What research have you done on your own?”

The answer I always get is,

“Ummm, well, That’s what I heard.”

This is what disturbs me. Too many people are borrowing other people’s opinions. When people do that, they are giving up their inalienable right to form an opinion of their own. They are restricting their own freedom. It’s not being taken away.

We as American’s need to have the personal fortitude to do our own research, and come to our own conclusions based on facts that we uncover ourselves, and not on the opinions of others.

Don’t trust the politicians, or the media to do it for you. In the end, they only serve themselves.

The fact is we, America, did vote for HCR. We voted for it by putting Obama in office. HCR was the platform on which President Obama ran his campaign.

Some American’s only waiver now, because of the self-admitted fear mongering tactics of the republicans and several prominent radio conservatives.

From the beginning, President Obama did give the GOP an opportunity to be a part of this bill. The GOP refused. They removed themselves from the process. They weren’t forced out.

With the GOP refusing to be a part of the HCR bill, President Obama did not have a choice but to continue in a partisan manner.

It is true, that some Democrats withdrew support from the bill, but, it was not because they don’t believe in HCR, it was because that wanted a certain passage included, or omitted from the bill, and it took a while to find a balance to get the bill passed.

In the end, President Obama did the right thing. Like a parent dealing with a child that doesn’t like vegetables, he is making us eat them anyway, because he knows it’s for the greater good.

Annette

March 22nd, 2010 3:28 pm ET
For many people, the reality is that health insurance premiums will go up. Sure, I don’t like everything in the bill. But if I need health insurance and can not afford to pay for it. Who will help? but if I don’t have health insurance, and need it, the cost still will be there or suffer the consequence of not having health insurance for treatment or prevention? So either way health cost will be there one way or the other. I’m not fond of the mandate on health insurance, but if I can get help to pay for health insurance and more options to choose, then what’s wrong with that? health care is a reality of life, not an option of life. I believe a start to a reform is better then nothing at all.

Constitution believer

March 22nd, 2010 3:27 pm ET
Despite the NEGATIVE headline and lead above – let’s be clear what this says:

These numbers say that 51% of those polled either FAVORED this bill or FAVORED an even more liberal reform.

47% apparently favor less liberal reform, or no reform.

Thus, Republican congressmembers’ constant claim that liberal health reform is “against the will of the people” is a LIE.

CHIPS

March 22nd, 2010 3:26 pm ET
The people who don’t have health care are Americans too. If you are one of those Americans that don’t like it, then don’t use it. Problem slove as simple as that and get over it.

Sgt. Flagg T. McLiberty, Superpatriot

March 22nd, 2010 3:25 pm ET
“Roughly one in five of respondents who said they opposed the bill did so because it was not liberal enough, and those people are unlikely to vote Republican. Take them out of the picture and opposition to the bill because it is too liberal is 43 percent.”

Thank you, CNN for FINALLY doing your journalistic duty and making it ABSOLUTELY CLEAR that it’s NOT a monolithic block of 59% who agrees with the TEA/FOX crowd.

But you’re just finally doing this NOW? By allowing lies and misinformation be repeated ad nauseum over the past year, you contributed to the toxic climate we saw this weekend. I’ve blocked CNN on my TV, and I will only unblock it if and when you grow a spine.

Enough

March 22nd, 2010 3:23 pm ET
Not only do we NOT like it, We hate it. This is being crammed through against our will and being told it is for our own good. We know what a disaster it is and Obamas words are no longer magical, they are LIES and we have had enough. We the people should be voting on our healthcare instead of these Democrats making decisions for us……….Democrats don’t think people are capable of taking care of themselves.

mark

March 22nd, 2010 3:23 pm ET
of course we don’t support this baby killing bill!

Charles

March 22nd, 2010 3:22 pm ET
I think the CNN pole is more a reflection of some deceptive advertising that had saturated the airwaves as the debate was happening. Most of those survey probably have little idea what is actually in the bill and the rhetoric contained so many distortions and fabrications, it would be hard many to have an objective opinion.

ricardo

March 22nd, 2010 3:21 pm ET
What a joke! The joke of a poll for today.

Allen in Hartwell GA

March 22nd, 2010 3:18 pm ET
It’s time for CNN to find a new group of people to survey. The poll results are a far cry from the views of people in my area.

NC

March 22nd, 2010 3:17 pm ET
Let’s repeal Medicare and see what they think.

Mila W

March 22nd, 2010 3:15 pm ET
what part of the “we the people’ do not want government run health care and spend..spend..spend.. did our elected officials did not understand?

Karen – Missouri

March 22nd, 2010 3:15 pm ET
For God’s sake STOP lumping all Americans into this stupid poll! Most of us were NOT polled and over 1/2 of us WANT the reform…get it straight

Eric in St. Paul, MN

March 22nd, 2010 3:15 pm ET
Sounds like the Dems’ job is not done. When asked about specific benefits from the bill, such as the reomval of pre-existing conditions or lifting annul/lifetime spending caps, most Americans are in favor. If the press would actually do some real reporting, and interviewers who should know better would challenge the liars out there, Americans could get the facts instead of the scare tactics. Trust me – by November everyone will be a fan of this bill and the GOP will claim that they were responsible for its passage!

Good grief

March 22nd, 2010 3:14 pm ET
Three words: Americans are dumb.

shalca

March 22nd, 2010 3:12 pm ET
Where are the internals? Let’s look at it.

mr bill

March 22nd, 2010 3:11 pm ET
Didnt seem to matter what the American people wanted. Nov. will be here soon enough.

babloo

March 22nd, 2010 3:10 pm ET
The headline of your story misrepresents the numbers you get in your survey and gives a fodder to republicans. One of the most important numbers in the survey is that 13% of the people oppose the bill because it is not liberal enough. These are the people who probably are unhappy with the bill because it doesn’t have a public option. However, it should be obvious to anyone that this group will prefer to have the current bill rather than having nothing or having any republicant plan which are tiny tweaks to the current system. What this essentially means that only 45% of the people are really unhappy with this bill, while 52% are either satisfied or would want an even more liberal bill.

Poll me…

March 22nd, 2010 3:09 pm ET
I want the heathcare bill. Who are these imaginary people they poll?

Uwe Sartori

March 22nd, 2010 3:08 pm ET
All the poll does is confirm if you scream and yell a lie loud and long enough, people begin to believe it.

Alex

March 22nd, 2010 3:08 pm ET
Key point is the poll was taken before the vote. It’ll be interesting to see the numbers after a little time has passed and if the Republican/Tea Party fear mongering is proven to be just that.

billy

March 22nd, 2010 3:07 pm ET
Taken on the heels of Tea-Bagger mania, I’m not surprised CNN’s poll is skewed.

What about the polls that have shown health care reform to be enormously popular for the last 2 years?

John A. Worth

March 22nd, 2010 3:05 pm ET
Gee, I guess the truth is in there somewhere. Not liberal enough. Imagine that…. some folks have the capacity to care about their fellow man and not want to shot them in a war or with their handguns or rifles they keep stuffed under their pillows. We are moving in the right direction. In the coming years will be universal health care, and gun control and intelligent controlled discourse between adults. In other words, Democratic control of our world.

CBass

March 22nd, 2010 3:04 pm ET
For the last time, please include the reason people oppose the bill in your polls so that it gets interpreted correctly. This is so high school journalism!

Lisa – St. Louis MO

March 22nd, 2010 3:03 pm ET
You didn’t call me; I am in full support of this bill – soon to be a law.

I work in healthcare and think that once people realize that the sky is not falling and government employees WILL NOT be standing over their beds, I think the public opinion will change.

Thank you to all who passed this bill.

rmc

March 22nd, 2010 3:02 pm ET
Odumbo is a nut and his group the people will make a change before long

the1Fred

March 22nd, 2010 3:02 pm ET
This country was built under the Rule of Law to prevent the tyranny that the colonies suffered under British Parliamentary sovereignty from happening again.
The Rule of Law was formulated with the US Constitution as the highest law in the land with no body above the law. The US Constitution defined and limited the powers of the US Congress expressly to prevent Parliamentary sovereignty.
Throughout history, the US Congress has been stretching the limits of the Interstate Commerce and General Welfare clauses, culminating with the passage of Health Care where the last Constitutional restraint on Congress’ power has been shaken off. Without Constitutional restraint, there is no law to limit the power of Congress, making this country subject to Parliamentary sovereignty – exactly what the founders attempted to prevent! We have become what we’ve rebelled against!
John Locke in The Second Treatise of Civil Government states: “Where-ever law ends, tyranny begins”, and when the highest law, it is the highest tyranny.
Whereas the US Supreme Court has abdicated it’s responsibility to defend the US Constitution, it falls on each State to defend their rights, and join together in restoring the US Constitution.

Maria Petriv

March 22nd, 2010 3:01 pm ET
communism has arrived “for the people” “with the people”, heard the comments loud and clear this morning from President Obama. Can’t fight it as I am Canadian. don’t have the energy to fight left wingers any longer. Much concern for the poor (and always give clothes – not money to charity) but come from an immigrant family who’s father worked 3 jobs to keep us going and to further himself to help us in the future and enjoy some of the fruits of life himself. Unfortunately heard quite a few of the speeches lately from Obama urging children to not listen to their parents all the time, that maybe they should think for themselves and that he wants everybody to be helping for the good of the people. Are we trying to create more bums and more people who tax the welfare system? More illegitimate children? If you can’t afford to have them – take birth control – it’s available anywhere – however if you want to loaf off the government then by all means have more kids. This is a terrible trend that the United States is heading towards.

Diane Paul

March 22nd, 2010 2:59 pm ET
This report is confusing as it mixes up people who think the bill is not liberal enough with those who fear government involvement. It gives conservatives fodder thanks to misleading information. Am I happy with the bill? No, I don’t think it goes far enough. Am I unhappy with President Obama and the Congress? NO, NO and NO. I am sick of people who have fought and fought against this…I say that if they don’t want this they should give up their Medicare and social security benefits.

Stu – Las Vegas

March 22nd, 2010 2:55 pm ET
give the bogus polls a rest, why don’t ya

Edwin

March 22nd, 2010 2:54 pm ET
This supports the belief that lies travels faster. Wait until they know what is inside they bill; then Republicans would be toasted.

Tennessee Libertarian

March 22nd, 2010 2:53 pm ET
This isn’t about health care.

It’s about the government wanting to take over our lives.

Just like the Brits in 1774.

John in WV

March 22nd, 2010 2:51 pm ET
If you want to conduct a real poll, exclude those who have health care, especially those with employer provided who pay little for it. Naturally the majority of these people are going to be against any form of health reform that they feel might threaten their own well being. This is the kind of poll the RNC would conduct.

Hammerer

March 22nd, 2010 2:51 pm ET
So. What difference does that make?

mallymal

March 22nd, 2010 2:48 pm ET
this is a messege for the gop. please stop these racist practices.you all have had control of congress,and knew we as americans needed to overhaul heathcare but all of you simply refuse to address this issue,yes it will be expensive to fix but it has to be done and although the cost is expensive,in the long run the benefits will far outweigh any cost associated with this bill.

Last night while giving their final speeches before the vote, everytime I did not hear a single republican give a story of someone in their district going through hardship as a result of the status quo, and what should be done to help the person.

On the other hand democrates told story after story after story after story….
It makes you wonder. Who is actually for the people? Who is working for the people?

WHERE IS THE SYMPATHY, EMPATHY…

Richie in Mass

March 22nd, 2010 2:43 pm ET
Doesn’t matter what the people want. Chicago poltics have a simple rule. Once you get elected do what you want and ignore the voters. Appease them near the election or pay them off.

steve barlin

March 22nd, 2010 2:43 pm ET
Americans are told not to like health care bill, haven’t read it, don’t understand it. Keep the masses blind, its good for the economy right?

emmett brown

March 22nd, 2010 2:42 pm ET
How about polling the 30 million people without health insurance……

VA guy

March 22nd, 2010 2:42 pm ET
Aww what happened? You wanted change, you got it. Try to live with now!

tjaman

March 22nd, 2010 2:42 pm ET
Again, Murkens don’t like the bill. The bill is big and scary. It will cost so much and won’t do nothin’ and now we’re all Chinese.

Weird, because the actual provisions of the bill are such that everyone seemed to be in favor of (except for insurance companies, of course.)

We manage this kind of victory for all Americans and Rs are still running around trying to frighten people. “Rationing! Abortions! Death panels! Booga booga booga!”

What. Ever. *eyeroll

Pamela Porter

March 22nd, 2010 2:42 pm ET
Thank you President Obama and your staff for your hard work on behalf of the American people. This country does need health care and I am sure the people who hate change will find out what a good thing they opposed.

Thank you Senator Kennedy for your years of hard work. Wish you could be here to finally see your years of hard work paying off.

It is a great day for America!

Austin, TX

Dave

March 22nd, 2010 2:41 pm ET
Remember everyone; your government knows what’s best for you!!!!
The will of the people ignored again. The two-party system is a scam. BO is a puppet as have been most presidents since Wilson.

Jim from Seattle

March 22nd, 2010 2:39 pm ET
That poll reflects that a majority are misinformed.

In 2004 most Americans thought Iraq instigated the 9-11-01 attack. And most thought Saddam had WMD. Grossly misinformed.

By 2011 hopefully the cerebrally challenged will have discovered that this bill save the USA $130+ billion over first 10yrs and a trillion after that.

And maybe a smattering of anti-abortion folk will actually discover that the Fed gov’t will NOT be funding abortions.

Of course that is wishful thinking. The ignorant will continue to be misinformed if their only source of information is FOX News and rightwing talk radio. And CNN – you could do a lot better – only 15% of Americans know of the CBO report that states we’ll save $130 bilion over first 10 years – and CNN is complicit with keeping that truth under wraps, while giving a huge voice to big-oil, big-pharma, and big-religion$.

Texas Jack

March 22nd, 2010 2:39 pm ET
‘HADES NO I DON’T LIKE IT”, Contrary to what you OBAMA PEOPLE think I am not a Republican I was a Democrat for fifty years. NOW IN A YEAR OR SO YOU WILL REALIZE ALL THE BAD JOKES AND SNEERING REMARKS YOU MADE ABOUT SARAH PALIN WILL BE A SHAME. Everything she told you about the health plan will come true. The Elderly will be put on death watches for there will be no treatment forthcoming after they analize the amount of cost to the government to keep them alive. Medicare is the one they have taxed to pay for their program. Social Security no COLA’s for two years while the medicare preminums rize beyond most paychecks the elderly receive now. You Obama People how are you going to pay for you elderly when you yourself don’t make anymore than miminum wage. You have cut your throats all the while you jabbered slang at a woman who will walk into the Presidency in 2012. Maybe she can right this tremendous wrong. I don’t see anyone else on the skyline capable of doing so. PALIN 2012.

hobart

March 22nd, 2010 2:38 pm ET
CNN, why don’t you design some questions to find out why people are opposed to the bill?

For example, how many are against it because of all its restrictions on abortion, and back door attempts to overturn Roe v Wade?

How many are against it because it contains no public option?

How many are against it because it isn’t single payer?

How many are against it because it rewards the bad behavior of the insurance companies?

And most importantly, how many will continue to be against it next fall when none of the Republican lies about it come to pass?

rositaCA

March 22nd, 2010 2:36 pm ET
was the poll conducted in DC or what part of the country? BECAUSE MOST AMERICANS THAT I KNOW SUPPORT ANY CHANGE RE: HEALTH CARE
We finally accomplished something that is good for US not just for the Senators/Representatives/Government officials.
THANK YOU MR. PRESIDENT we finally have someone that WORKS for the American people!

Keeth in California

March 22nd, 2010 2:33 pm ET
We elect people to govern, not polls.

badger

March 22nd, 2010 2:33 pm ET
Congrats to the Democrats, they finally got a pair, now maybe we can move on with more of the Peoples Business.
To the News Media we don’t need to rehash health care for the next year, move on to some other subject that needs attention.
To the Republican’s get over it and see if you can’t try to work with this President.

Joseph

March 22nd, 2010 2:32 pm ET
If the majority of American people do not want the OBAMACRE, it it about time to repeal it and impeach OBAMA. Rather than rescuing the economy and creating jobs for average Americans, As soon as elected, OBAMA single-mindly pursues a clear socialist agenda by spreading the wealth from those who have to those who don’t, increasing the tax burden not only to to wealthy but also to average taxpayers and small business men and women, and destroying small business and job creation.

george from alaska

March 22nd, 2010 2:32 pm ET
what a total load of horse manure. fox news has been hammering away at trying to make fools believe that most folks don’t want the new health reform. if you believe fox news on ANY issue…you are just the type of idiot that would vote for palin as president.

normajean

March 22nd, 2010 2:32 pm ET
Every one I have talked to for months and months have said the same thing. WHAT POLLS? WHAT POLLS? Where do you get this stuff.? I have never seen anyone anywhere taking a poll of anything. NEVER. I don’t believe that there is such a thing,.and you just make it up. Seriously, I’ve been a voter for over 50 years and have never been polled nor known anyone who has been and I live in a major city in a very large state.Sorry, this does not make any sense to me.

Avenell

March 22nd, 2010 2:32 pm ET
American people love the HRB, they want it and why do news people keep printing the opposite. Not a 100% of the people like it but majority do.

wilson

March 22nd, 2010 2:28 pm ET
Has Rush Limbaugh left the country yet…

Diane Keichinger

March 22nd, 2010 2:27 pm ET
Who did CNN pole, You didn’t poll me or any of the 39million
uninsured people, or people with pre-existing conditions. Did
the people CNN polled have insurance.CNN needs to say 500
out of the 700 people polled, instead of America doesn’t like
the bill. I am America and I have medicare and I like the bill
so please put me in your poll.

Diane

astro

March 22nd, 2010 2:26 pm ET
Good bye to dems in the fall…..I am sure most will be voted out of office.

linda

March 22nd, 2010 2:26 pm ET
this an outrage, that we are on our way to becoming communists! They the government is getting away with everything our constitution does not stand for. our founding fathers and patriots are rolling over in their graves. everyone on nov. needs to take a stand. Or it will be too late.

All the news that is fit to omit

March 22nd, 2010 2:26 pm ET
But, but, but, but the liar in chief said that this was a bill for the people and by the people as it had our blessing???

Nah, just more lies by this gutless fraud, just like the 3000 percent decrease in our premiums or our premiums would GO DOWM $2500 per family LIES.

How about the myth that we can KEEP our DOCTORS and INSURANCE MYTH that he ran around lying about and none of the gutless sheep (except for Brett over at Fox) questioned him on.

He of course DIDN’T answer the question, he just whined like the gutless coward he is as the bad man was not letting him get away with his lies and speeches.

Congrats Barry, you and Pelousy and Reid will bring the Republicans back into power based on YOUR arrogance and lies.

See you in November.

Marie in California

March 22nd, 2010 2:25 pm ET
The bill is a disaster. Too much government meddling in people’s lives. Too expensive…..America is already broke. Washington and the states have been spending like drunken sailors for a long time, using money they don’t have, and this one tops them all.

The day the bill passed was a sad one for this country, and may hail the demise of this great country.

Obama Victim

March 22nd, 2010 2:25 pm ET
politically and philosophically I am opposed to this bill..but at least for today, I would like to thank President Obama. I bought a lot of health insurance stock Friday…and it is all up big-time today. I will sell it and go back to despising this travesty tomorrow. But at least for today, thanks Mr. President…..ka-ching

lolo

March 22nd, 2010 2:24 pm ET
CNN who diid you poll, because no one called my home. You should just stop puting your poll results on-line. It does not include all Americans. They are all lies. Shame on you.

davis

March 22nd, 2010 2:24 pm ET
Not me. I am super happy that the bill was passed. It is not perfect but it is a start.

derrick804

March 22nd, 2010 2:24 pm ET
It’s hard to believe that DNCNN could still find enough retards to admit they still support ObamaScare. Even with their left wing poll showing less than 39% favoring it and 59% having a brain and opposing it.

All the other polls show over 63% STRONGLY OPPOSING IT.

I guess their are still some uneducated socialists out there who think someone should give them something for “FREE”.

What’s next for these dingbats? A whine about how water is a necessity, so someone else needs to be forced to pay their waterbill?

Then after all of their needs are covered, they just have to pass “comprehensive crack funding” to get someone to pay for their “FREE” crack and they’ll have no need to get out of the bed in the morning.

Jim kowas

March 22nd, 2010 2:24 pm ET
I was born during FDR’s 3rd term and have never seen a president and congress so totally disregard the people’s dislike of this lousy bill that fixes nothing that’s wrong with our current system; high tort liability cost, illegal aliens and wastage. Sad but
it has also been rushed through Congress without proper scrutiny, in the face of overwhelming public opposition, and with not an ounce of bipartisan support.”

Bubble of Sanity

March 22nd, 2010 2:23 pm ET
Wow, that article was produced by a master of spin. I’ve never seen a better done job at making facts say what someone wanted them to say. You have my utmost respect.

call me crazy

March 22nd, 2010 2:23 pm ET
Here is one American who wasn’t polled, but supports the health care bill. It isn’t perfect, but it’s better than nothing. The only reason support fell off was because they took out the public option. Before that the majority was in favor of the bill.

usualone

March 22nd, 2010 2:22 pm ET
Many of us have never been polled about this issue. Those 32 million people probably are not counted or have any impact on the survey.

normajean

March 22nd, 2010 2:22 pm ET
You must be talking to the “tea baggers’ because I don’t know anyone who has ever been polled or even asked their opinion on this bill or anything else So far everyone I have talked to is holding out great hope that this health care program will be worked with over time and prove to be a solid improvement over what little some of our citizens were trying to deal with. As for the Republicans, if they had ever cared about their own people they would have worked with the Democrats to make it work. That, however is not what the Repubs wanted from the start. They want power and money and don.t care whether their own people had health care or not. Just what have they done all this year and a half? NOTHING BUT OBSTRUCTION.NOTHING.

vette gal

March 22nd, 2010 2:22 pm ET
I really think your polls are skewed. The only reason most of the populace is against the bill is because it doesn’t contain the public option that the majority wanted. Hopefully, this will be added somewhere down the line as I’m sure this bill will be tweaked time and time again.

NC

March 22nd, 2010 2:21 pm ET
That is so true……if the house and senate really cared what the American people have to say and want, than why did it pass…..vote out the crooks in 2010 and 2012…

Nini

March 22nd, 2010 2:19 pm ET
Sorry pls. fix this “Liberty”.

Willy Brown

March 22nd, 2010 2:19 pm ET
America has been against the bill (for a whole year) since its crooked devise in the back rooms of the democrat leader office. CNN and the rest of the Obama loving media outlets never covered it but only air Obama loving stuff like date night, basketball picks, Barry’s family vacation and anytime be wanted to bash President Bush. All cover for this unpopular bill. You keep on covering for him CNN, the rating show how good you and the rest lag behind that mean old FOX. In short; Well DUH!

Ryan

March 22nd, 2010 2:19 pm ET
I love the sugar coating from CNN. “If you take out the liberal people who are unhappy with the bill that only leavs 43% that oppose. Okay…how about the liberal people that like the bill? Are you going to take them out? If so….wouldnt that be less people who are for it? What’s next…well 3% of those people are libetarians and they wouldn’t vote for repubs either…so see it’s not so bad. GIVE ME A BREAK! VOTE OUT EVERY CANDIDATE OR INCUMBENT WITH A “D” NEXT TO THIER NAME!!!

IndyVoter

March 22nd, 2010 2:19 pm ET
Did anyone ever think to ask respondents HOW they knew that their cost would go up or that the deficit would go up, other than because the Republicans say so? I’m glad CNN had enough sense to mention that 20% of those opposed to the bill are LIBERAL DEMOCRATS who wanted the bill to do more (though it was at the END of the article). That means that only 46% who oppose it are either Republican or Independent. The Liberal Democrats will hardly vote with Republicans in 2010 or 2012 and will join the 38% percent (the rest of the Democrats) who supported healthcare in voting for Democratic candidates. Republicans shouldn’t be counting their chickens before they hatch.

Dawn

March 22nd, 2010 2:19 pm ET
Imagine, the bill passed, and the sky did not fall.
People get over it, it’s a done deal. Now what will the Republicans
sabotage next? Mit Romney, claims that the bill did not attract any Republicans. I wonder why? Even if they liked anything in the bill they would still go against it. If the Repugs cared about the American people, they would stop fighting and work for the good of the people. Everyone should have a decent healthcare plan.
The Repugs are a bunch of evil people. They care nothing about the middle class or the poor. They are all about money and making a profit, even if it means at the expense of ones life.
They preach about how righteous they are, and they are the biggest hypocrites. I know you guys are spitting nails because Barack was successful where so many failed.
Now this is why we have smart folks as Democrats, and your party,
now really are a bunch of illiterates.
Take a look at what your party attracts. People that will listen to you guys rant and rave, and shove lies down their throats rather than
getting the facts for themselves. No brains.
Well, guess what you idiotic party, God is not sleeping. One would think the way you Repugs talk about the bible that you would know better.
At the end of the day, God was in Control.
He gave Barack the insight to do what had to be done.
Imagine, BARACK DID IT, when no one else could.
What a smart man.
You folks are a PATHETIC bunch.

Sgt. USMC

March 22nd, 2010 2:18 pm ET
It’s funny how when things go your way you really don’t care about polls or even care to protest. However, when things are going the opposite of how you want them to go, you protest and sign up for these stupid polls. The real poll happened in Nov of 2008 and the people spoke.

Loletha

March 22nd, 2010 2:17 pm ET
Human lives are pricless why are people so worried about cost?
MY LIFE AND THE PEOPLE LIVES OF THE USA IS WORTH MORE THAN ANY MONEY ON THIS EARTH.

STOP PUTTING A PRICE ON HUMAN LIVES IT’S JUST WRONG.

The Calabash Kid

March 22nd, 2010 2:17 pm ET
Let us be candid with ourselves. Most Americans have no idea what is in the bill because they don’t read the news. They may glance at headlines and listen to a morning show but that’s it. Also, Republicans have told so many outright lies about the bill that many Americans now believe the Republican fantasy rather than the reality.

Here’s the real threat to this bill, assuming it becomes law: America’s hospital corporations, pharmaceutical corporations, and health product corporations will try to turn this bill into an ATM machine for private enterprise. They will overbill, skim, cheat, double-bill, distort, and overcharge. They will hire lobbyists to bribe Congress to insert funny little sentences in future bills which allow them to buy something for fifty cents and charge the government a hundred dollars for it. Look at all the “fraud” in Medicare. Who is defrauding the government? America’s corporations, that’s who. And if a corporation is caught stealing a million dollars, they are fined a hundred thousand and told not to do it any more. They are the ones we need to watch out for.

Nini

March 22nd, 2010 2:17 pm ET
Sad day for America and liberality.

I was in tears as I watched our constitution shred to pieces and foundation demolished brick by brick in the hands of radicals.

Is it too late to save this country?

Annie, Atlanta

March 22nd, 2010 2:17 pm ET
What I especially like about this bill is the fact that Democrats in the House put the people of this country before their political careers. Can’t say the same about the Republicans. It makes me sad that they couldn’t be bothered. We’ll see how that plays out.

It isn’t the best bill. Single payer or at least a public option would have been better. But here’s to hoping it’s a start in the right direction. And that, for me at least, would be to stop giving money to companies that don’t have our best interests even on their radar. For-profit health care is a detriment to us all. Oh well.

MJ

March 22nd, 2010 2:16 pm ET
So – We still can’t buy Insurance across State lines, Insurance Companies are not restricted to rate increases, Preexisting Conditions only currently apply to children, and you can bet Taxes will soar. Great Job Demos!

March 22nd, 2010 2:15 pm ET
Here we go again, dumb Americans reacting on emotions rather what is truly in this sweeping legislation on health care.

For the 59% who think this is a bad bill, obviously you do not have to worry about health care. Get a grip…………how can a child with cancer who can reach the cap in medical insurance just by living everyday and receiving cancer treatment. I do not under the American people who feel…….”I got mine” so the he!!@ with everyone else.

We care only for what we can get never mind the suffering of others. Get a grip and support this health bill….I hope you don’t find yourself having to sell all of your assets just to get medical treatment and then have the insurance company drop you because the acutuary says your health is expensive to insure.

Tell all of those House Republicans that if I had my way, they would have to pay signficantly more for their cadillac health coverage they receive.

susan

March 22nd, 2010 2:15 pm ET
What about the 80 or 90 percent of americans that were againest keeping the wars going to which cheney said… SO !

March 22nd, 2010 2:14 pm ET
This poll as do ALL polls need to be tempered by the fact that most Americans are either woefully ignorant or plain stupid … and in many cases they”re both ignorant and stupid. There is no wisdom in the collective opinion of the American people … if there were … GWB would not have served two terms!

cesan

March 22nd, 2010 2:13 pm ET
I’d still like to know who long it took these Americans to read the bill? Even with the posting on Thursday – not too many read anything. How can you all let yourselves be lead by whatever someone says. Please read the bill then decide what part you do not like. Why is this so bad. Millions of people wait every month for their Social Security checks and they even get inflation increases. Not much, but it’s there. Please think before you are lead down to the slaughter. Don’t just agree with your neighbor without reading the bill first.

Mikey

March 22nd, 2010 2:11 pm ET
Ask them to explain why they support/oppose the legislation and you will probably find most Americans don’t understand what’s in the legislation or how it really will impact them.

The people shouting the loudest are just repeating vauge talking points that are either highly exaggerate or completely mischaracterize the facts.

When the individual components of the legislation are polled, most people support most of the actual provisions of the legislation. It is sad that misinformation reigns supreme.

Crystal Harmonson

March 22nd, 2010 2:09 pm ET
I don’t agree, this is way too general of a statement. ONly some of Americans don’t agree. It may not be perfect but I agree with what they are doing.
This is what is wrong with Journalism today. Go for the shocker, and let’s not be accurate at all. We want readers and we don’t care about the truth.

Are you kidding me?

March 22nd, 2010 2:09 pm ET
Congratulations Mr. President!!!!! Thank you for standing up and being the strong man that you are. We are sooooooooooo pround of you because no matter what they threw at you, you did not back down and you handled each situation with a calm reserve that many would not have been able to pull off. I think yesterday was a perfect day for Mrs. Kennedy to visit with Mr. Kennedy. This was as much his fight as ours. I am sure he is pleased.

Joe Gaines

March 22nd, 2010 2:09 pm ET
Most Americans say they don’t like the health care bill my question is what do they like nothing then don’t complain, just keep paying the rising cost if they don’t like that then come up with some new ideas which I have not heard of any so what do you want, nothing but just to complain because you really want it free!

Joseph B

March 22nd, 2010 2:09 pm ET
People are against the bill yet know very little about it. The article claims that the contents of the bill were widely known. But then the statistics quoted are at odds with the bill. So what is the real story?

John independent from NY

March 22nd, 2010 2:05 pm ET
The Republicans failed us for 8 years with their horrid fiscal policies. Now the Democrats have joined with their own ineptidudes. This health care bill is a fiscal disaster. Give it time and it will prove it.

It is time for the Libertarian Party to make it’s stand. This latest fiasco of a process is the reason why a legitimate 3rd party so vital to America. When we needed good policy we got cow manure.

I Love America

March 22nd, 2010 2:04 pm ET
Why even poll us simpletons? The democrats are going to do whatever serves their own selfish interests. I picture them everyday getting up and thinking to themselves….”let them eat cake”…..

Raff from NC

March 22nd, 2010 2:04 pm ET
They didnt like medicare before, after that they love it. And just like new dish, they dont like healthcare, but once they taste its sweetness they will fforget any nasty words they ever said.
Republican people will be republican, they will not change even when they know they are wrong.

Hud

March 22nd, 2010 2:02 pm ET
Obamma’s changes are “change for the sake of change”, not change to help the people – and obviously not the changes that the MAJORITY of people in this country want!! Hopefully, things won’t be messed up too much before he can be voted out of there!!!!

Navy Vet

March 22nd, 2010 2:01 pm ET
After a year of misinformation and outright lies from the Republicans about this bill I’m suprised anyone would support it.

It doesn’t matter though a little time down the road people will find out what the reality is and will come to be thankful for it.

Boston Irish

March 22nd, 2010 1:58 pm ET
But NOBODY who voted YES listened. Well, come time for their re-election, they will have no choice as the voice of the people will be heard loud and clear.

bmw

March 22nd, 2010 1:57 pm ET
“the contents of the bill were widely known”??? Give me a break. Most polls on the popularity of the reform legislation follow up with questions about specific provisions in the bill, and find that people who originally said they were opposed to the bill in fact like what they hear about the contents.

All that these polls are measuring is how influenced some people are by the Republican lies and scare tactics.

Ryan

March 22nd, 2010 1:54 pm ET
That is so ridiculousy slanted because I sure wasn’t polled and nobody I know was polled. We’re all FOR healthcare!!
The majority of Americans voted for Obama specifically because his platform was all about reform. So to say people don’t approve of thier chosen candidates main cause clearly doesn’t add up.

Learn math CNN.

NYCitizen

March 22nd, 2010 1:54 pm ET
Will we angry folks remember this come Midterms??? I for sure will. Regarding the House passing the HCR Bill: the pre-existing condions clause should immediately be extended to EVERYONE of EVERY AGE, not just children. Taxing Cadillac plans: I am just a secretary living in NYC, I worked hard all my life to just be able to afford a high-end insurance policy through my employer and I am not rich at all. Now in a few years, I will be taxed heavily for efforts. As far as health insurance itself, does it do away with the authorizations you have to get to go to a specialist? And, the $250 seniors are supposed to get to cover the doughnut hole in the prescription plans, is that once a year? and for how long? It doesn’t seem to me that $250 really helps that much. My freedom of choice is taken away from me by FORCING me to have health insurance. If I don’t get insurance, I will be fined increasingly in larger amounts every year. Cheaper plans do not necessarily mean better quality of care or more facilikty and physician choices, eithert. My employer offered several types of health plans, one of which was enticingly cheap. However, there basically was only one facility to go to in the Borough, and was severely limited in physicians who took the plan. What about prescription drugs that are new on the market? Will my insurance cover them or will I have to pay out of pocket for a new drug, and if I can’t afford that, I am FORCED to take some other drug? Will there still be a three tier prescription drug system, as quite frankly, the three tire system bites! I am waiting for Nicvax to come out to help me stop smoking. Will my insurance pay for it, or would they rather spend a fortune in my future cancer treatment instead? Paying for the Nicvax certainly would be more cost effective. As an aside, I am on the younger-age of the Baby Boomers. By the time this reform is in full effect, I could be dead by then. Or maybe that what’s this Administration has in mind!

Marcus Tate

March 22nd, 2010 1:54 pm ET
I am hoping the Supreme Court can overturn this legislation by finding parts of it unconstitutional, but then I am not holding my breath.

Wisconsonite – Stop Smoking the Tea Bags!

March 22nd, 2010 1:53 pm ET
Do another poll in a week or two, CNN, and I predict you will see very different results. By that time most of the people polled will have time to see that all of the things they are “opposed” to about the bill are lies told to them by the Republicans because they do not have a vested interest in helping the working class of this country.

ray

March 22nd, 2010 1:52 pm ET
the health cares bill according to the racists, immigrant haters,bigots,red necks on the right is no good, hahahahahah it will be good for them when they starts to reap the benifit. hahahhahah i wish i had the power to round up all these hypocrites racists on the right who cares about babies who aren’t born and not the childer n who dont have health care, who are starving as we speak , who parents cannot afford to buy them medicine when they are sick. god , i beg you, wipe these racists on the right who pretends they the bible is there saviour. wipe these people off the face of the earth so this country and world can be a better place.

Southern Poll

March 22nd, 2010 1:52 pm ET
Where was this poll taken, in Texas? In the south, I would expect results like this, but not nationwide. However, there are a lot of poorly educated people here in the states that have no idea why they are against the health care reform, so this could be accurate.

Marcus Tate

March 22nd, 2010 1:51 pm ET
All I know is that I personally will not be voting for anyone who voted for this legislation, which takes money out of my pocket to buy healthcare for welfare recipients and illegal immigrants.

What have we come to when we punish hard working people because they have jobs that afford them healthcare? This is not about who has healthcare and who doesn’t – its about the government overstepping its authority, its about the government telling people what they will buy, and its about the government punishing those who are successful on behalf of those who are not. That sounds like Socialism to me.

Badnews

March 22nd, 2010 1:51 pm ET
This bill will be the death knell for small business. All this weekend vote amounted to was a big smoke and mirror show by people who don’t have a clue how to manage a yard sale, much less something that amounts to 1/6 of the economy. Get ready for tax hikes like we’ve never seen before and an overloaded medical system. All so the arrogant, so called leaders of congress could get their names in the history books. None of these politicians were listening and all we can hope for is they get sent packing come next election.

nwcanadian

March 22nd, 2010 1:50 pm ET
Big, big mistake, U.S. Congress. The American people wanted reform that would help create higher-quality, more affordable health care for patients.The bill that passed will not accomplish either goal. All it’s done is give the green light to another massive government boondoggle, more bureaucratic inefficiencies and waste and more red tape. Do those who voted aye even know what exactly it is they voted for? Even the President couldn’t articulate specifics when he was pressed for answers.

Peter s

March 22nd, 2010 1:49 pm ET
Mr.Rich Barbieri, Sir, are you in anyway affiliated with insurance industry? if Yes stop misleading the public. Your survey is/was biased, it’s inconclusive and it makes CNN looks like fox news! please go to fox thats where you belong! you manupilative good for nothing sucker!!

AndyF

March 22nd, 2010 1:47 pm ET
Just goes to show the GOP tactic of repeat a lie enough, than enough people will believe it. What this law starts to do for small business is huge, but the real winners are the American people, including the 59%that have bought hook, line, and sinker the GOP BS machine that this law will ruin the country. Perhaps they are looking for a scape goat for passing huge tax breaks during the costliest war in American history? Bottomline, those independent number crunchers have confirmed this will aid in lowering the deficit, yet enough Americans allow themselves to be conditioned by the repeating of a lie over, and over again. Imagine our country without Fox News, the only way truth would have a chance to be behind the decisions we make.

It’s time for another change!

March 22nd, 2010 1:47 pm ET
59 percent of those surveyed opposed the bill, yet the Democrats have chosen to shove this bill down our throats. The American people’s time will come though as we will shove it in a difference place next elections. Then perhaps we can really enact some legislation that is meaningful and not break the country.

Bob (Illinois)

March 22nd, 2010 1:46 pm ET
Before running another sill poll, why don’t you wait until the general public has a better idea of what is actually in the bill?

beevee

March 22nd, 2010 1:46 pm ET
I do not know wo the CNN survey interviewed regarding the healthcare bill, it seems like it is very biased. I think most people will like it once they are given full account of the bill. Tidbits of details are selected by media and some of them are used to scare people. For one I dont’ see the bill as unlikeable. There are a lot of good things in it.

Big John

March 22nd, 2010 1:46 pm ET
I think once it’s implemented and we all start seeing the benefits of health care it will become the same as medicare, a good program.
The sky won’t fall and all the fears of those who oppose it will subside.

mishmarsh is sick of polls

March 22nd, 2010 1:46 pm ET
Who gets these so called polls anyway…moderator.. moderate!

Connie Burkhart

March 22nd, 2010 1:45 pm ET
Thank God the Dems finally passed it. it will turn out to be a good thing for Americans. It’s too bad there wasn’t a public option to give the Insurance companies some competition. They will still be making too much of a profit on this! And there still needs to be tort reform, but maybe this a “foot in the door”.

Wanda in Montana

March 22nd, 2010 1:45 pm ET
When the sky fails to fall, the people who listened to the fear mongering Chicken Little (dressed up as a FOX), will feel sheepish.

Augustine

March 22nd, 2010 1:44 pm ET
“62 percent said the bill increases the amount of money they personally spend on health care”

The height of ignorance or the consequence of persistent GOP/FOX mischaracterization of this bill.

Brian from CA

March 22nd, 2010 1:44 pm ET
What happened to the poll that showed very strong support for the components of the bill but not the overall bill? That speaks more to voters’ actualy understanding of the legislation.

Matt

March 22nd, 2010 1:44 pm ET
To those who support it: how do you intend to pay for it? I think if you stand to have health insurance subsidized for you by the working class, you shouldn’t have gotten an opinion. Too many welfare babies growing up not realizing that this country is founded on work ethic, not handouts. If you want to succle from the “wealthy,” go to Europe. Wait, our country is richer…wonder why. Probably because capitalism is the route to prosperity–which is why we overshadowed the rest of the world for so long. Even if I am “selfish” and work really hard, and create a business that makes me wealthy, I would have either had to improve the product/service or lowered the price. Both leave EVERYONE better off. The only reason we have company cartels who fix prices is because our government allows it by creating regulations–which are barriers to small business owners and entrepreneurs who don’t have the capital to get past all the red tape. When it is the federal government that allows price fixing and makes our lives miserable, why would trust them for our health? How does forcing us to buy insurance, punish the insurers? How does it punish the hospital administrators charging $1000 per stainless steel screw? The answer: it doesn’t. It’s all political posturing to show Americans “they’re doing something.” I weep for our children and grandchildren who will be forced to either pay through absurdly high taxes or with blood. Because one side or the other is going to pay eventually.

Justen in Florida

March 22nd, 2010 1:42 pm ET
Wow, just wow.

So, you wait untill it’s passed to report this?

You finally got around to reporting what everyone in America already knows.

congrats CNN!

NadineCA

March 22nd, 2010 1:41 pm ET
This American likes this Healthcare Bill. I don’t know who is getting polled but it’s definetly not me nor my friends because we very much like the bill and support it 100%. Why not poll the people who want this bill to pass and want Health Care Reform.

Schnauzertdad

March 22nd, 2010 1:40 pm ET
Do they realize that Americans, almost 2:1, do not want what they just crammed down our throats? The only way to fix health care was for congress to play by the same rules they vote for us! But they clearly won’t do that because they know our health care is CRAP!

Stephan In Billings

March 22nd, 2010 1:40 pm ET
I don’t know what type of criteria wa used in the poll but everyone I spoke to here have been and still are for it. The out of control pricing and droping of patients, not the least of which is corruption is pervasive to say the least and has gone unchecked for decades.

All of america

March 22nd, 2010 1:40 pm ET
Of course the majority don’t like the bill.We tried to tell congress that all along but they went against the people anyway! In november the majority of the public will show them how angry we really are, that is,if the feds don’t rig the votes like they did in the presidental elections.

Patrick

March 22nd, 2010 1:40 pm ET
Like the majority that believed that :
Iraq had soemtning to do with 9-11;,
that sending more troops into Afghanistan would be the wrong move,
That Cash for clunkers would not help the economy,
that the country is heading into recession,
THAT EITHER HILLARY CLINTON OR JOHN MCCAIN WOULD BE PRESIDENT OF THE USA

Al Ragucci

March 22nd, 2010 1:40 pm ET
I was surprised by how much CNN reporting on the health care vote missed the mark. The headline on CNN’s Saturday news shows was that Obama was losing support for the bill when most other networks were reporting that Dems were expressing supreme confidence in the final outcome. I hope CNN reporting works hard at maintaining its reputation for shooting down the middle and does not become overly dramatic for the sake of ratings.

John

March 22nd, 2010 1:39 pm ET
Republicans want:

No Social Security
No Public Education
No Regulated Banking
No Medicare
No Healthcare
No Regulations for Wall Street
No Regulations for Insurance
No Tax to the Rich who make wealth by plunder of the poor
No Regulation of private business, all free trade

March 22nd, 2010 1:39 pm ET
The percentages change depending on the day of the week and what their political affiliation. In the end, the net result is: Most of America still does not understand exactly what is in the bill that passed and what, exactly, it will do to affect each of us.

So, let’s get passed all of the purely political talking points from BOTH sides here, because it serves absolutely no one in answering the real questions. And let’s get down to real business here.

key

March 22nd, 2010 1:37 pm ET
They should talk to people with a broader Intellect than fox news

kmays

March 22nd, 2010 1:36 pm ET
Of the 35 million people that dont have any health care, how many of them were included in this poll. How many of them do you think beleive this is a bad bill. I would really like to know because maybe what they think dont matter.

terry

March 22nd, 2010 1:35 pm ET
Obamacare will bankrupt the us and turn us into a third world nation

djb

March 22nd, 2010 1:34 pm ET
Just goes to show you that the Republicans (aka Tea Partiers) have a better propaganda machine than the congressmen (and women) who voted for the bill. Fear is contagious. Education is the antidote to fear. What most people don’t understand is that the alternative to this bill is skyrocketing costs of health care.

Rush is to far left

March 22nd, 2010 1:33 pm ET
Duhhhh. And the democrats and president aren’t listening. There is not argument that health care reform is needed. But this bill isn’t it. All this bill does is help the entitlement, welfare, racist against white people, lazy with their hands out, illegal aliens, at the expense of middle class hard working americans. There are lots of opportunities in this country to improve your lot in life, or human life value. Why take away from someone that works hard to give to someone, usually black or brown people, that does not?

BobH

March 22nd, 2010 1:33 pm ET
I think this is an indictment of the media’s ability to explain factual information to the public. The media focuses so much time on reporting what people in power say, as opposed to what is true, that they end up misleading their audience.

It’s factually incorrect that 62% of the people polled will pay more for healthcare under the bill (assuming the poll used random sampling techniques). So the respondents are uninformed. And while people may not like the measures in the bill that result in a lowering the of the deficit, they are factually incorrect in thinking that it will increase the deficit.

CNN does its audience a disservice when it merely quotes politicians spewing clearly unsubstantiated or false statements and doesn’t bother to correct them.

Ron

March 22nd, 2010 1:32 pm ET
For the first time in my adult life I am NOT proud of my country. This is a travesty to this great Democratic Republic and I don’t know how we can ever make this country great again if this is not overruled by the Supreme Court. If this health care bill stands, and I worry it might, the only logical step is succession of a few states to form a new country. The great United States of America is no more and I am ready to create a new country where hard work and REWARDS for our hard work are appreciated. Which is going to be the first state to succeed? Let me know and I will move to that state within 90 days. Living in a great new country is much better than watching the United States continue its downfall into a Socialist nation.

anotherGDlefty

March 22nd, 2010 1:32 pm ET
I like it and no one called me. I’m also not on a corner throwing insults & teabags either.
My revolution happened in the voting booth in November 2008.

Signed, A REAL AMERICAN.

dorothy

March 22nd, 2010 1:32 pm ET
American’s are so misinformed about this bill that it is embarrassing.
The Republicans have resorted to what they do best: nothing and destructive, fear-based politics. Business as usual for the self-serving, callous, poor excuses for Americans party of the elite.

It is, bottom line, divided into a country of ‘haves’ (and don’t want to share it) and ‘have nots.’

I salute Obama and the Democrats for the courage it took to do the right thing and remain completely disgusted with the masses of American people who are so blinded by apathy and ingnorance that they don’t even know when something is in their best interests.

The ‘moral majority’ (oh please) deserve the Republicans. The rest of us, however, do not.

Mike York

March 22nd, 2010 1:31 pm ET
With all this talk about the health care reform bill, one of the things that intrigues me most is of the people in opposition, how many of them have health care provided through an employer as opposed to having to provide their own? I’m also curious as to whether they or anyone in their immediate family has had any issues with insurance coverage or serious health problems.

I understand the concerns about more government control but what do they think about the people that are truly suffering from the insane system we have today?

What goes around

March 22nd, 2010 1:29 pm ET
“the contents of the bill were widely known,” but were they widely known among the people surveyed? CNN should conduct THAT survey. Most people know only what they have heard from talking heads, and probably know more about the process it took to pass it than about the content of the bill itself.

Now is the time for Congress and the White House to explain to the American people how this bill will change the lives of those Americans who desperately need change.

ran

March 22nd, 2010 1:29 pm ET
Bull. when a survey is done that actually reflects the people then it might have some validity. But as long as these surveys use only people with land lines which are mostly people over 50 yoa then they do not truly reflect the people.

ConservativeVictory2010

March 22nd, 2010 1:28 pm ET
Polls and opinions from outside the beltway obviously don’t matter. But the November elections will correct that deficiency.

FM

March 22nd, 2010 1:28 pm ET
Is this poll of 32 million who don’t have any health insurance??

conniesz

March 22nd, 2010 1:27 pm ET
This poll simply shows that there’s a lot of misinformation out there and many people are currently to uninformed to know any better than to believe it. Once the truth starts to circulate, this will change and the people will see this is for the best. Anyone who remembers when medicare was introduced knows this is just part of the cycle. The polls shows large percentages against medicare – and look at it now. Change is never easy but sometimes it is necessary – this is one of those times.

Massachusetts Conservative

March 22nd, 2010 1:27 pm ET
To T*Sah in Virginia…Democrats didn’t stand up to the “Party of No” last night with their vote for Healthcare Reform. The stood up to the American people. They said “We don’t care that an overwhelming majority of you (nearly 60%) don’t like this bill. We know what’s best for you and we’re gonna jam it down your throats anyway.” Your comments would be laughable if they weren’t so completely ignorant. A government by the People, for the People. 60% of Americans said “NO” and they voted for it anyway. This is a sad, sad day for democracy.

lil

March 22nd, 2010 1:26 pm ET
Just who are you polling the tea party people. No one in my family or that I know has been polled. So you guys must have your own list of tea party
people that you talk to.

The Other Michael in Houston

March 22nd, 2010 1:26 pm ET
Once again no one called me or anyone I know of.

Dr.George James

March 22nd, 2010 1:25 pm ET
No wonder, Republican terror tactics worked!!!Remember the protests against Medicare,Social Security etc.when they were introduced.Now, millions enjoy the benefits of these Government run programs.THIS WILL DEFINITELY HAPPEN TO HEALTHCARE ALSO.

colby

March 22nd, 2010 1:25 pm ET
Great, Healthcare has passed. Of course, like many, many unemployed Americans, I’m not sure how that is going to put food on the table or keep the eviction notice from arriving.

Bill Clinton had it right in 1992–It’s the Economy Stupid! If you get people working again, everything else will work itself out.

John L. – NYC

March 22nd, 2010 1:24 pm ET
And yet our Congressional leaders went ahead with it anyway without taking an approach to do this in pieces that would be more palatable to the American people. They must feel like they know what’s best for us, rather than representing our interests and what we elected them for.

Will-South Dakota

March 22nd, 2010 1:24 pm ET
This American likes the Bill!. It’s about time we had real reform instead of talk talk and more talk. This is a NO more abuse by the insurance companies and notice to drug companies to stop ripping off Americans.
When does Rush Limbaugh leave for Costa Rica????

John

March 22nd, 2010 1:24 pm ET
Those who hold a dim view of the bill are merely dim themselves. Read, try to understand even a shred of factual information regarding the policy and then come to a conclusion. I highly doubt that 59% of Americans are making over 500k a year. In addition, CNN fails to break down this 59% into people who think it’s not liberal enough as opposed to too liberal. Instead, it’s chunked into an ambiguous sum of 59%, which most people will attribute to Republican talking points, since they’ve pretty much done everything in their power to stop the bill in the first place. A large percentage of people are upset because it doesn’t include a public option. Get it right CNN, for once. But I suppose that it’s too much for you to break down a poll into three separate columns instead of two.

Anonymous

March 22nd, 2010 1:23 pm ET
It’s a good thing that people’s *opinion* of the health care bill don’t affect the *facts* of the bill. It’s too bad such a poor job has been done to inform people about how the bill will help them.

travis

March 22nd, 2010 1:23 pm ET
The poll is completely useless. Please let us know if the first question asked of the respondents was whether or not they in fact read the bill. All 2000 plus pages of it. I would be willing to bet the answer is no for each and every one of them. Without reading the bill, the “American public” that supposedly does not want the bill is relying solely on soundbites heard in 30 second commercial spots. I’m not arguing for or against, because I have not read the bill either. I vote for my elected officials and hope that they read the bill and are voting based upon facts not soundbites, but the politics involved make me and many of my peers naseous.

Bob in Pa.

March 22nd, 2010 1:22 pm ET
All notorious assassins have been remembered by history using their full proper names. Today we now can add Barack Hussein Obama and Nancy Patricia Pelosi as the persons responsible for the pre-meditated slaughter of American Freedom.

stop the nonsense

March 22nd, 2010 1:22 pm ET
It must be how the question is asked becuase last week, this same ticker said 46 percent approved it and 42 percent opposed. How did that change so drastically in 4 days?
Why in these articles don’t they tell us what was asked instead of paraphrasing them?

BJ

March 22nd, 2010 1:21 pm ET
This is not MSNBC says and I trust them more than you.

Bill SAnford

March 22nd, 2010 1:21 pm ET
I am sure CNN did not expect this much of a gap…

The “in the tank for obama” cnn rarely lets a chance go by to not plug liberal causes. This one must have backfired.

haren

March 22nd, 2010 1:21 pm ET
Half the american voters does not understand this bill because of the media.

haren

March 22nd, 2010 1:20 pm ET
where is the government involved in this bill?
stop talking and taking poll asking about govt take over and its involvement.
Without mandate insurance co. can not cover patient with chronic health.

Marie MD

March 22nd, 2010 1:19 pm ET
The reason might be because there’s no public option which most Americans wanted. There’s still time to fix it now that it finally passed.
Has limberger packed his bags yet? Having boner almost in tears, like that other loser beck, was worth every second of this long fight. Anyone who has ever lost their health insurance and/or had to pay Cobra’s $1,000 plus fees a month embraces this bill.

Sam Rose

March 22nd, 2010 1:19 pm ET
Pre-existing conditions will not be covered for 4 years? how many people will die because of this in the next four years? this is a crime–why couldn’t that start NOW???

T’SAH from Virginia

March 22nd, 2010 1:19 pm ET
Come on now – who’s POLL???

This is hard to believe!! What 1,000 people were polled? This is the same polls that ran all during President Obama’s campaign and they ended up being WRONG!!!

James Breiner

March 22nd, 2010 1:18 pm ET
I will not vote for any REP. or Sen. that voted for this cluster fk of a Bill,and will make it known far and wide.The people didn’t want this and it shows how far out of touch our Government is. Vote the old out and younger blood in also term limits.

Liz

March 22nd, 2010 1:18 pm ET
the people who are buying the republisaurs’ lies don’t like the bill. the people who actuall understand what’s in it and the good it will do and the even better things it will lead to like it just fine. i’m so grateful to the Democrats who showed they’re statesmen, not just politicians, and voted for it. and to answer Sister Sarah, that hope-y, change-y thing is working out great, actually! Keep up the great work, President Obama! and to the rethugs who wanted to destroy his presidency at the cost of thousands of lives, i hope the good people of this country vote every last one of you traitors out of office in november.

blden

March 22nd, 2010 1:17 pm ET
At this time, the CNN Quick Poll says that 42% of over 200,000 people are in favor of the health care bill, 41% oppose it.

Those numbers will change as the 17% that are ‘unsure’ figure out that they will be better off with anyone other that insurance companies making decisions about their health care.

Think

March 22nd, 2010 1:17 pm ET
CNN should be quizzing Americans on the details of the bill, but I guess that would insult ignorant people, and devalue the poll results. Bottom line: people generally don’t know what they like or dislike, because they don’t have a clue.

Steve – Michigan

March 22nd, 2010 1:17 pm ET
GOOD NEWS about Obama-care!

Most of it won’t be in effect until 2014 –

The World ends in December 2012.

jeremiah

March 22nd, 2010 1:16 pm ET
it looks like these poll results just show how little the amiercan public knows about the bill

Jon

March 22nd, 2010 1:15 pm ET
All these surveys say is that people have no understanding of what the bill does. 62% think it will increase their personal healthcare expenses? Somehow I doubt they’ve done the math. 70% think deficits will go up, despite the CBO’s report $100 billion to the contrary?

Crap like like is exactly why we shouldn’t govern based on polls and makes me glad Obama didn’t cave to the numbers.

Washington DC Insider

March 22nd, 2010 1:15 pm ET
This bill will most likely pass, but the fallout from this bill will have wide reaching effects over the 2010 elections and into 2012. While Obama can say “Mission Accomplished” and check this off his To Do list, he has alienated the entire Republican Party and started to create a revolt within his own party with the Blue Dog Democrats.

I suspect we’ll see some interesting things happen over the next 6 months, but I feel Independents will cause the control of the House to swing more to the middle and take it away from the Liberals who are literally bleeding our Country dry. When 60% of those polled, or 60% of the Nation is not a fan of your bill…that is a warning sign. There was no mandate, but everyone is acting like there was. Interesting days, interesting days.

j

March 22nd, 2010 1:15 pm ET
Americans don’t understand the health care reform bill, what’s in it, and how it will benefit them. When they see that’s it’s not the big scary thing the Republicans are making it out to be, Americans will be fine with it.

The Republicans and Conservatives that voted against this bill and are obstructing other measures because our President is biracial and a Democrat are on the wrong side of history.

enough already

March 22nd, 2010 1:14 pm ET
Just wait until Obama does his road show to drum up support. The opposition will surely grow.

Right Leaning Independent

March 22nd, 2010 1:14 pm ET
No worries! Obama will lecture, I mean educate us on how we are misguided!

pat

March 22nd, 2010 1:14 pm ET
nobody poll me. I like some of the health care bill but this is better then nothing.

Glenn Koons

March 22nd, 2010 1:14 pm ET
So the socialist monstrosity has passed and now the Middle Class will be getting whacked. There will be no tax cuts for the Middle Class. And with the IRS now in charge of Healthcare, we will be like people who will simply open our wallets and give them to the Feds to take care of non-earners, illegals, and frankly losers in our society. Polls will show that this is hated. But no matter to our new Venezuela Govt., amnesty will happen and illegals will be on the dole to give Obama and the Dems new voters for 2012. This is not a Party or Prez who loves America, free enterprise, liberty and our national security. This is a group who wants to punish America for its supposed greed. I frankly hope all Americans will wake up and instead punish them at the polls in Nov.

NVa Native

March 22nd, 2010 1:14 pm ET
I’m sure the right wing whackos / tea-baggers will make a big deal about this one poll by pairing it with the deception that every one who doesn’t think the bill does enough agrees with them, which of course would just be another Republican/Fox lie.
From thge party of “NO” truth that’s exactly what we can expect.
This is a great day for working middle class Americans.
Shame on the corproate sponsored Republican thugs.

Michelle

March 22nd, 2010 1:14 pm ET
Well since this bill will be changed for the better by the Senate, I fail to see the need for this poll. No one liked everything in the bill…it was watered down and changed for the prissy Reiublicans who wouldn’t have voted for it no matter what. Now we can go back and put in the public option and some cost saving measures. A dumb way to do it, but that’s how the system works.

Right Leaning Independent

March 22nd, 2010 1:12 pm ET
BUT, the folks standing in line with their hands out for another freebie will post on here that they are estastic that it was passed! The entitlers won this fight but the middle class will lose in the end when they find themselves paying taxes for this free or subsidized health care!

Ed

March 22nd, 2010 1:12 pm ET
The most important statistic from this poll is that 57 percent of Americans, a majority, favor health care reform, but some of these Americans do not like the current bill because it does not do enough. This says more about the progressive nature of Americans than the republicans pundits care to recognize and the democrats should leverage moving forward to further reduce costs. This bill further demonstrates that the Democrats are the only party capable of lowering the deficit while still attempting to improve the health care for all Americans. We need to move forward and reduce costs a process that can include ideas from the left and right.

Repubhypocrites

March 22nd, 2010 1:12 pm ET
CNN your polls are BS. Tell that to the families of those 45,000 people per year who die due to lack of coverage. Or those that are uninsured. I am a tax payer and I support. HCR. The greed and selfishness in this country is pitiful. Its not going to be perfect. But its a start. Things will improve later. CNN and these republicans/teabaggers need to stop with this all or nothing attitude.

Tom, Bradenton,FL

March 22nd, 2010 1:12 pm ET
I am still looking for a job. Now with another $2trillion added in health care Obama has spent $4trillion in one year more than Bush in 8 and I thought Bush was bad.

Lynne

March 22nd, 2010 1:11 pm ET
The rancorof the Rep. Leaders is most unprofessioal. Eric Cantor and John Boeher appear as men of doom and gloom, of deep unhealthy anger, if these Republicans know so much about economics and can see into the future how is it that they lead us right into the near economic collapse of last year? The language of these men is mean spirited and I wish to say I’m weary of hearing “what all Americans” want! How can these men be so arrogant to imply that they alone know everyone’s mind? Once again Republicans are using fear to manipulate Americans, and once again this form of propaganda seems to be spreading like a deadly virus. I do not for one minute think the people of the Rep. Party care about me, their agenda is about holding office, power, and tax cuts for themselves.

andrew

March 22nd, 2010 1:10 pm ET
On the question of costs, 62 percent said the bill increases the amount of money they personally spend on health care; 21 percent said their costs would remain the same and 16 percent said they would decrease

___

How exactly would the average american be able to knowingly answer this question? They dont know how this will affect their costs personally.

Another useless poll.

Wendy

March 22nd, 2010 1:10 pm ET
No one polled me!
Who are the majority of Americans that you polled?
I want a change in health care and happy that it has passed.
I have health care at my work and it keeps getting more expensive every year .
I do believe people should be responsible and get health care for their family and if they cannot afford it they should be able to be helped out with getting insurance.
My husband has lost his job and is taking care of our 3 year old because we could not afford daycare anymore while looking for a job.
I had to put him on my insurance which is costing $$$$.
Maybe their should be more people being polled in the millions and not the thousands on how they feel about certain subject before you say the majority of americans.
Thanks,
Wendy

one voice

March 22nd, 2010 1:10 pm ET
The only people that don’t like the HCR is the Insurance Industry, the filthy rich and the Corporate sheep that are too dumb to know any better. This bill will put in place important regulation that will stop Insurance Companies from dropping coverage when you get sick, stop Insurance Companies from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions and take 1.3 trillion dollars off the deficit in the first 20 years. Who in their right mind could argue against this?

Doyle Wiley, MI

March 22nd, 2010 1:10 pm ET
I have health care so the bill doesn’t impact me, but I’m glad there will be something in place to help the over 30 millions Americans that are not in my shoes. Great job Mr. President.

Open Minded

March 22nd, 2010 1:10 pm ET
I’m really getting tired of everyone speaking for me. I’ll speak for myself…I’m all for HEALTH CARE….I remember when both my children were still at home, they were both kicked off Kids Connection. They said I made to much money. What a joke that was. That happened during the time Joannes was governor of Nebraska….and Bush was in office. I was faced with paying the mortgage, paying the utilities, putting food on the table, car expenses, etc. and most important figuring out how I was going to pay for HEALTH INSURANCE. My work at that time was no premium for single coverage, but close to $400.00 to add my children to the policy. So my children went without coverage for almost 2 years. During that time my son was injured with a baseball bat to the head and were talking close to $4,000.00 in doctor expenses which I’m still paying on. There now adults and now they can have the chance to be insured without breaing there bank accounts. During all of this debating going over HEALTH CARE, I have never heard the GOP come up with anything. All they have done is instill fear in the American population. My dad also is still paying for my stepmother’s fight with Colon Cancer almost 5 1/2 years after her death. He is ’75’ and that is wrong. Some of this name calling going on isn’t showing are children how to behave as adults. If my taxes go up I don’t care if it means it’s going to help someone else get coverage. I prefer this over lining the pockets of the GOP. Thank You for allowing me to make my comments which Is A Right that I have as an American. The GOP is mad because it wasn’t them who got it done. It was the democrats. Everyone have a grand week.

Th3rdpwr

March 22nd, 2010 1:10 pm ET
I couldn’t possibly care less about the deficit.

As someone who’s unemployed but still has to pay rent, buy food and, generally, survive. I have to continue to spend whatever funds available and, thus, incur debt. Bush’s deficits and financial crisis put America in this same position. At least the money is now being spent on creating something to benefit American citizens.

Besides, after six years of gross fiscal irresponsibility, I’m not taking the naysayings of repubs concerning this country’s monetary solvency. If these do nothings want to help the deficit vote themselves a pay cut, shrink their staffs, close some of the military bases we have around the world, and spend their energy on getting us out of these wars, rather than feeding enemy propaganda, by saying how weak America is.

Finally, if there’s a choice between government choosing my healthcare, and profit hungry insurance companies choosing my healthcare, I’ll go with government everytime!
After all don’t these conservs always say this is the greatest country on Earth? Well, our government is a big part of that reason.

KM

March 22nd, 2010 1:09 pm ET
I think I figured out why most americans didn’t want this bill to pass and here is my theory. If 95% of americans have access to healthcare then there is no way to differentiate between the “haves” and the “have nots”. Everyone will be able to see a doctor of their choosing. This is all about social and economic classes.

If I make $90,000 per year and the guy at the local gas station make $15,000 per year but we both share the same doctor then we both share something in common. In my humble opinion, some people in each class don’t feel that it is right for someone in a lower class standing to have the same things that they have. I am turning off my sarcasm now but tell me how did that sound.

Dick Cheney For President In 2012

March 22nd, 2010 1:09 pm ET
59% of the voters opposed the bill. Nevertheless, Obama and the Politburo rammed it through anyway.

59% of the voters might be enough to initiate impeachment proceedings.

Capt. Snarky

March 22nd, 2010 1:09 pm ET
Yep, we don’t like it. The fact is that it is going to wind up as an underfunded entitlement program by the middle of this century – guaranteed. With it choking off our economy, our nation’s decline will make us look a lot like Greece currently is. Bunch of whiny, tit-babies rioting because our government can’t afford our luxuries anymore………….

Good luck, America. Hope you like the hell our congress voted in……

marlene

March 22nd, 2010 1:08 pm ET
As often happens Americans believe the misinformation from the GOP and the media regarding the health care reform bill. Depends on what “spin” one is listening to, or where polled citizens are getting their facts. Don’t believe everything you read or hear. To many times the headline teaser, especially recently for CNN, for an article is totally different from the actual content or tone of the article.

Jeff Spangler, Arlington, VA

March 22nd, 2010 1:07 pm ET
Obama & Company: “OK, so we lied a little. No one anywhere on earth is really very good at controlling medical costs. Thanks, suckers!”

Larry

March 22nd, 2010 1:07 pm ET
I know it has always been a Republican battle cry but it’s time for the “Silent Majority” to be heard. I’m tired of biased polls, deep pockets, fear mongers and loud protesters from self serving factions trying to control the outcome of legislation, elections and the overall direction our country is run. It’s time for this country to be, once again, run by the majority. Of the people, for the people and by the people ….. anybody remember those words?

chris l

March 22nd, 2010 1:06 pm ET
Its Hilarious, CNN puts up articles with titles such as “How can Republicans overcome their waterloo?”, or something else discussing how historic it is or some other nonsense. All the while its been shown time and time again that a big majority of Americans Despise OBOZOCARE. CNN, MSNBC, ABC, WAPO, NY TIMES etc…. really are all disgusting, partisan Radical supporting so-called “news outlets” WELL I HAVE NEWS FOR YOU, COME NOVEMBER THE RADICAL ANTI AMERICAN LIBERAL PARTY IS HISTORY. HELL, REVOLUTION IS BREWING AND AT THIS RATE THEY MIGHT NOT MAKE IT TO NOVEMBER. AS FAR AS OUR RADICAL AND CHIEF IS CONCERNED HE WILL BE LUCKY TO MAKE IT TO 2012 WITHOUT BEING PHYSICALLY REMOVED FROM OFFICE DUE TO THE REVOLUTION. LIBERALS SHARE THE SAME GOALS AS AL QUEDA WHICH IS TO DESTROY THIS COUNTRY FROM THE INSIDE OUT. THEIR EXTREME AGENDA IS DANGEROUS AND IT MUST BE STOPPED ANY WAY POSSIBLE.

wayne

March 22nd, 2010 1:05 pm ET
My name is Wayne, Not Joe, But do represent the average american citizen. I don’t recall anyone ever asking what I believe about this mess, or any of my friends, or family on these poles. We believe they are not your average citizen. First John Boener, we dont trust the people on capital hill. and it’s not because of the health care that was passed. It started when A Person was put into the whitehouse as president of the United States without the peoples vote in the year 2000. Then started a war that we did not want, instead of going after bin laden. Then decided to start taking our rights away. He should of been impeached . Oh then he was appointed again in 2004 without the peoples vote. The Replublicans pushed every thing they wanted down our throats. Now they complain about the health care. It happens to be the first thing that was done on capital hill that is actually going to help the ****average american*****.The real reason the republicans don’t like this is that now they are going to lose campaign money from the insurance company’s and there lobbyists. Wake up America The corporations are running this country now and we have to do something about it. The Republican party supports the corporations and not the people of this country. We need to wake up, We are being fed lies and misinformation about what is really happening in this country. I could go on , but I won’t.

signed ; Average american Citizen.

Steve in Ct

March 22nd, 2010 1:05 pm ET
It’s not just the Healthcare bill but all the things the government is taking away one at a time. I’ll only go back a little. Clinton gave away the Long Beach Navel Station to China without even maintaining the right to inspect to know what they’re doing there. People are complaining about Mexicans flowing into our country and taking our financial security when there are even more coming from China on freighters and walking into The US throught a gate. Bush took our privacy and allowed the gov. to spy on our own. Now POTUS Obama is controlling our money, income and now our health. Add to that this bill is taking away our retirements using medicare money to finance this insurance give-away and giving Social Security cards to the illeagles who broke the law coming here in the first place. They tell us medicare and s.s. are “intitlements, like food stamps. We’ve paid for these agreed programs and they’re NOT handouts. There isn’t one person in the United States who today can’t get medical care with or without insurance or money. We already pay extra for our hospital visits to cover those who can’t pay but the hospital is bound by law to treat. Our politicians who are supposed to be representing us are representing their party instead. Soon we’ll go to a cashless society so the government can freeze your account and prevent you from buying/selling. thgen it’s our guns to make one last stand whiline starving and it’s all over. For you who support Big Brother and are too blind to see what’s happening “Thanks a lot for destroying us”.

Luke Brown

March 22nd, 2010 1:04 pm ET
The special interests and their Republican pals have so distorted and exaggerated what this bill would do that no one really understands it other than those who have put it together.

The Bush tax cuts, Medicaid Part D, and the two wars in the Middle East, were all far more expensive and complicated … and we survived.

Everyone take a deep breath.

Jerry

March 22nd, 2010 1:04 pm ET
The math is very simple
Social Security is broke
Medicare is broke
Health Care will soon equal you are broke

Emma

March 22nd, 2010 1:04 pm ET
Obviously, the Poll responders do not fully understand the bill.

Michael from Ventura

March 22nd, 2010 1:04 pm ET
After six months, let’s see what they say. The sky won’t fall, the Stars and Stripes will not be replaced by the hammer and sickel and people will be able to get insurance who couldn’t before. The fear mongers have done another fine job- too bad that’s all they’ve got!

How are you paying for it???

March 22nd, 2010 1:03 pm ET
Yeah, I see where OBOZO plans to “hit the road” to try and sell his Obozocare. The public knows the man is a proven liar. Joe Wilson was right, this man is a liar. He’ll sit there with that serious look and sell you a bill of goods like a used car saleman.

Well, I plan on cheating on my taxes. My plan is to let DUMocRATS pay for this for I will no longer support this. AND as an employere, I expect to layoff a few employees to pay for the new payroll tax. I have a few DUMocRATS in mind. They voted for change, so YES I CAN, give it to them.

Sniffit

March 22nd, 2010 1:03 pm ET
I will say this, now that it’s passed. This is a HUGE boon for us lawyers. We’re gonna get rich off you worthless scum now rather than the insurance people! HAHAHA!

Fed Up

March 22nd, 2010 1:02 pm ET
Yeah I don’t like it either and I blame the Republicans for the lousey bill.

Had they worked with the Dems in good faith, there may have been more concessions by the Dems and maybe more of provisions that the GOP favored would have been inlcuded in the bill. After all, the Dems were desperate for Republican support.

However, John Boehner’s constant stonewalling eventually forced Obama/Pelosi and the gang to face reality and go it alone. So why should the Dems make any more concessions? They weren’t going to get GOP support anyway.

Boehner and his sad excuse for leadership took a gamble and lost.

Nasty Nancy took a different sort of risk and won.

Yeah I don’t like this bill, but bottom line … the time had come and we got something that was better than the status quo.

Brendan

March 22nd, 2010 1:02 pm ET
Read carefully – take out the liberals who say the bill doesn’t do enough and opposition is 43%. And the conservative Americans who say they don’t like the bill like the particulars when asked about the details. It is apparent that the scare tactics and misinformation of the GOP has worked.

Lucy

March 22nd, 2010 1:02 pm ET
I would like to know where CNN gets it’s information regarding who likes Healthcare Reform. I like it.

If everyone understood that the bottom line to all of this is that The Republicans are Racists and does not want to do anything that will help the poor. They consider the poor BLACKS.

If everyone would just use common sense and stop listening to the group who is fearful they would understand that this is best for our country.

All of this concern about future debt is just crazy. We were in debt with the unnecessary war that took place so stop showing other countries how ignorant and uncaring we are.

so rich even obama couldn’t hurt me but you middle class folk should worry

March 22nd, 2010 1:02 pm ET
yes but uh did you ask them about pre existing conditions????? because page 1074-1076 takes care of that, what forget about the other 2789 pages that’s just well just stuff that’s not important the important thing is pre existing conditions, you’ll see you can trust them this is a brilliant. this is gonna save money while extending coverage to all and wait for the best part …. are you ready!!!!! the quality of care is gonna get better! that’s right BETTER! and did I mention pre existing conditions! your not against pre existing conditions are you? I am so sorry children of america I had nothing to do with this, I tried I voted I called but I am sorry, I am 40 and there is no doubt you will not grow up in the beautiful country I did. it is now our turn to hate this country, just like this current administration and the liberals in this country have hated this country for decades, you think you hated bush???? you think you let it known??? YOU HAVEN’t SEEN ANYTHING YET!!! LMAO

chris

March 22nd, 2010 1:01 pm ET
This just shows you how uninformed most Americans are. If we quit getting our news from political blogs and our media explains legislation better, instead of bringing two ideologues on air to debate the talking points, then maybe 70% of Americans wouldnt believe a healthcare bill that cuts the deficit by 1.4 trillion over 20 years would add to the deficit.

david, CA

March 22nd, 2010 1:01 pm ET
those poll numbers reflect the persuadability of Americans to an orchestrated campaign of lies by the right-wing out to destroy the Obama presidency.

fair

March 22nd, 2010 1:01 pm ET
Obama will definitely pay for this bill. He is bankrupting this country on purpose because he has never loved this great country.

aliou

March 22nd, 2010 1:01 pm ET
I like the bill. I would have loved it if it had a single payer system to it. and if it started right away.

francesN

March 22nd, 2010 1:00 pm ET
Big thumbs up from CANADA to the USA

But what you did is the RIGHT thing to do.

You CANNOT say you are PRO-LIFE if you do not support universal health care.

foolindeed1

March 22nd, 2010 12:59 pm ET
What do you call “socialistic nationalized goverment take-over approach”? A mandate for everyone to get a health insurance? There can be no reform without a mandate as only when the pool includes everyone it has enough resources for success – otherwise insurance companies go bankrupt – the only entity that can do mandate is federal goverment.

ej in Tacoma

March 22nd, 2010 12:59 pm ET
The average American complaining about the bill has not read it. They are blindly going by the the Right wing whom are preaching, fear, anger, and doom. They were given plenty of time to come up with positive ideas but only touted their brand of obstructionist politics.
EJ inTacoma

Steve

March 22nd, 2010 12:59 pm ET
Socialist agenda from a president who lied to us all

Paul H

March 22nd, 2010 12:59 pm ET
That means that a whole party voted against “We the People” and forced a health care bill down our throat. That means they really didn’t act on our behalf.
Who did they do it for then?

foolindeed1

March 22nd, 2010 12:59 pm ET
Japan (#2 economy in the world) has the longest healthy life expectancy on Earth and spends half (in percent of GDP) as much on health care as the United States. Japan has universal health care system. Everyone in Japan is required to get a health insurance policy, either at work or through a community-based insurer. The government picks up the tab for those who are too poor. It’s a model of social insurance that is used in many wealthy countries. But it’s definitely not “socialized medicine.” Eighty percent of Japan’s hospitals are privately owned — more than in the United States — and almost every doctor’s office is a private business. The Japanese go to the doctor about three times as often as Americans. Because there are no gatekeepers, they can see any specialist they want. Japanese patients also stay in the hospital much longer than Americans, on average. They love technology such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); they have nearly twice as many scans per capita as Americans do. The Japanese Health Ministry tightly controls the price of health care down to the smallest detail. Every two years, the health care industry and the health ministry negotiate a fixed price for every procedure and every drug. That helps keep premiums to around $280 a month for the average Japanese family, and Japan’s employers pick up at least half of that.
If you lose your job, you keep your health insurance.
Japanese insurers are a lot more accommodating than their American counterparts. For one thing, they can’t deny a claim. And they have to cover everybody. Even an applicant with heart disease can’t be turned down, that is forbidden. Nor do health care plans covering basic health care for workers and their families make a profit. Anything left over is carried over to the next year. If the carryover was big, then the premium rate would go down.
No one in Japan goes broke because of medical expenses.
Personal bankruptcy due to medical expenses is unheard of in Japan.

cspurgeon

March 22nd, 2010 12:59 pm ET
I think CNN polls are just as suspect as Fox anymore and besides does someone care. I am an independendent never been included on a poll because I am on a cell phyone, love it that way but do support health reform as a way forward for our country.Polls and media do not run our country thank God. The voting booth is where it counts and I will certainly be there. I do not vote a ticket. I vote for people who share my views and am especialloy interested in newcomers because they haven’t sold their ethics yet. CNN is in a ratings war with Fox and have sold their ethics so very rarely watch either one. Actually spend more time on CSPAN making up my own mind…

Ash

March 22nd, 2010 12:59 pm ET
So what? I’d imagine more than 59% of Americans don’t accept evolution either. Just because it’s a majority from a sampling (not sure from where they sampled) doesn’t mean that the majority is right, only that the majority feels a certain way.

Americans don’t seem to like paying taxes either, but they certainly enjoy having the fire department come when there’s a fire, sending their kids to public schools, using interstate highways, traffic lights, food inspections, etc.

We are (were?) the only country in the developed world to not have some sort of universal coverage, and our statistics in terms of health, quality of life, etc. certainly show it. Not to mention, we’re also the only country in the developed world to allow pharmaceuticals to advertise, on which they spend billions which could be lowering costs of medicine.

Sniffit

March 22nd, 2010 12:58 pm ET
Yeah but most americans voted for Dubya twice and are elitist racist punks!

Tell the Truth

March 22nd, 2010 12:58 pm ET
I have lost all respect for Wolf Blitzer and CNN. Republicans already have FOX news getting their lies out. They will not like CNN or Wolf any more for spreading their lies. Republicans are using you. You are all RACISTS. Tell the truth!

Aunt Bea and Opie

March 22nd, 2010 12:57 pm ET
Its a great day.Limbaugh is crying and whining like a baby without his bottle of oxys.hahaha

billincalif

March 22nd, 2010 12:57 pm ET
YOU’VE BEEN LURED BY THE snake in the grass (a.k.a. SATAN) I hope the apple that you’ve chosen to bite from doesn’t bite you back. Be sure to take that ‘Executive Order” with you as you stand before your maker!

Karen

March 22nd, 2010 12:56 pm ET
will you survey the same respondents 10 year from now?

what about opinions of the uninsured? Has any body heard their voice recently from CNN?

Claudia, Houston, Tx

March 22nd, 2010 12:56 pm ET
This is one of the most worthy pollings I’ve ever read until the truth of consequences is unveiled in approximately a year or two. There will be a favorable spike in the polls for healthcare reform.

francesN

March 22nd, 2010 12:56 pm ET
Most Americans never liked the idea of Medicare either.

March 22nd, 2010 12:55 pm ET
Like most polls of health care, this one is still polling on the lies that the American people have been fed by the GOP. Wait until the American people really understand what’s in the bill, like small companies get a tax break, pre-existing conditions are gone, lifetime maximums are gone, there are no death panels (never was), you now get to deal with your doctor about what is needed instead of the insurance company telling you what they will pay for, your children can stay on your insurance policy until they are 26 years old, you still have the same insurance you had yesterday, there has been no government takeover of anything and Medicare benefits have not been cut. Oh and let’s not forget that the deficit will actually go down. And what will the GOP do once the Tea Baggers find out they’ve been used and lied to by the GOP, not to mention the rest of the American people?

aliou

March 22nd, 2010 12:55 pm ET
I like it way better than the alternative: “do nothing or tax breaks for the rich and more wars”.
I like it anyway. I am not in love with the healthcare reform bill because it wasn’t a single payer system.

I am the Great and Omnipotent Wizard of Rush and I Say . . .

March 22nd, 2010 12:55 pm ET
Churchill was right.
“A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to gets its pants on.”

And the republicans are masters of the art of lying.

Lynn

March 22nd, 2010 12:54 pm ET
I found it hard to believe the people surveyed actually know what’s in the bill. As someone who watches C-span’s Washington Journal every morning, I am amazed that many of those who call in in opposition have no understanding whatsoever what’s in the bill…..yesterday during the hearings several people called in to complain…..one had VA care, another – both her and her husband were on Medicare, another on Medicaid, and they’re all complaining about the “gov’t take-over.” Or others who have no insurance whatsoever complain about being forced to buy insurance, yet fail to understand that when they require emergency care, we more often than not, end up paying for it.

Carl Justus

March 22nd, 2010 12:54 pm ET
I for one like the bill. It is time someone besides the rich and members of congress, and most public employees get health insurance, along with those who work for major corporations.

Lynda/Minnesota

March 22nd, 2010 12:54 pm ET
Haven’t blogged on this thread for months. I see CNN is still catering to it’s big business lobbyists …

If by 59%, CNN is referencing the same old same old polls which have been circulating for months, I would suggest that CNN update it’s polling and demographics lists, as well as utilizing updated and informative questionnaires.

Receiver of Many Guests

March 22nd, 2010 12:54 pm ET
Well, well, bravo for the Dems, looks like a party is gonna be thrown but I wouldn’t be all too excited if I were them. But it sure seems to me that we, Conservatives, are gonna be more influential and persuasive than ever before, arguably since the 9/11 attacks, though we got national Security in our pockets. Good for them, it is in some way a W for them but only time(or decades) will tell how far this bill will go and can, good luck.

And for the record, they are baby killers, I hope he would have hit em with a stick just like back in the day in the head, then we’ll see who’s more divisive and heartless in this game.

But is good times, is nice outside, the bad people are out(stupid cops, I told em), the kids are out so the spring is coming out! Let’s all rejoice and give thanks to what the lord gave us and that’s a life. Good luck and remember, put a smile in your face!

Like-a-ton-of-bricks…

March 22nd, 2010 12:53 pm ET
The Dems health care bill will sink under its own weight further eroding the system with higher costs and less quality services and perhaps throwing more insured off the system than the 32Million
Pres Obama claims will get on it.

As we saw after the passing of the bill by a narrow margin 219-212 there was not much rejoicing by Dems in the chamber. So the Dems together with Pres Obama claim they can govern..Really? with their majority in Congress and at the helm in the White House all they came up with is a very, very bad half-measured bill and bipartisan in opposition Only….

March 22nd, 2010 12:53 pm ET
The truth about these polls:
– Americans don’t want their health care to contain the Republican lies.
– Americans do want the actual content the Democrats put into the health care bill.

Jeff

March 22nd, 2010 12:53 pm ET
I only wish the bill was better. Every other industrialized nation has a for of universal healthcare, we are so far behind. This is a step in the right direction, but we further reform.

Jim

March 22nd, 2010 12:52 pm ET
Interestingly, this poll doesn’t speak to the bills actual strengths or weakness, but it does indicate who has been running the better PR war.

It would be good if they posted a break down of reasons why people opposed the bill. Last time I was a poll that did this, it showed a significant part disapproval group did so because the bill was not progressive enough. I’m curious to see if that is still true.

ted

March 22nd, 2010 12:52 pm ET
I applaud the democrats for having the intestinal fortitude to pass healthcare reform. This is a great day for the uninsured, the previously uninsured and uninsurable, the people who get jerked around by healthcare companies by getting dropped from coverage or premiums go sky high. The Grand Obstructionist Party made it abundantly clear they dislike the American people and I hope they suffer in future elections.

Mr. Moderate

March 22nd, 2010 12:52 pm ET
Still lower than the percent of people who wanted the US to get out of Iraq. Of course the president then was considered an honorable man who stuck to his principles, while the poll respondents were condidered borderline traitors who advocated surrender. Why the different standards for this president? Hmmmmmm?

Seth

March 22nd, 2010 12:52 pm ET
We are in a war now… it is no longer a struggle, but an all out war.

I hate to use the term Civil War, there can only be one of those.

But perhaps the term Political War will suffice for now. It is the Progressives against the Centrists and the Conservatives.

It will come out all right for the good of our Country, because history has always been on the good verses evil side of things.

The passion of this political War, won’t spill any blood, Thank God,
but it will spill over into political ugliness the likes of which this nation has never seen. If conservatism loses this political war, there will not be anything left worth fighting for.

tina

March 22nd, 2010 12:52 pm ET
as a nurse, I believe this “reform” will be a disaster

Susan

March 22nd, 2010 12:52 pm ET
I don’t know who CNN is polling..oh yea I do..Republicans. I am so sick of them all!!!

Robert

March 22nd, 2010 12:52 pm ET
There are so many obvious ways that americans prove they don’t know what they are talking about. What is the point of polling them? They constantly vote against their own self-interest. This isn’t surprising, especially considering the current climate of fear and anger being supported from the right.

Jerry

March 22nd, 2010 12:51 pm ET
Dear Mr. Obama, I agree with you 100% that healthcare is screwed up and needs fixed. However, your “plan” does nothing to fix it. All it does is put an even bigger burden on the middle class. How does taxing benefits fix the problem? How does requiring people to get coverage even if they cannot afford it fix the problem? How does pooping on small business fix the problem? It doesn’t. I hope you enjoy your only term

Shelly

March 22nd, 2010 12:51 pm ET
I saw a poll that said 56 percent of Americans believe they saw aliens land it their backyard! We are a lost people when our moral compass and higher wisdom does not guide us anymore!
When it is grand to spend a trillion dollars on an unnecessary war and kill thousands of Americans and Iraqis but whine and complain when we spend to save millions of our own citizens! Ridiculous!

Gertie

March 22nd, 2010 12:51 pm ET
70% of respondents thought this bill would increase the deficit, but the CBO’s report clearly stated it would reduce the deficit. Get the facts. Knowledge is your friend!

Rick in OP

March 22nd, 2010 12:50 pm ET
When politicians arrogantly thumb their noses at the will of the people, it is called TYRANNY.
Do you remember what happened the last time someone tried that in this country?

frank in Valparaiso

March 22nd, 2010 12:50 pm ET
So what. It passed. Its the law of the land.

People in this country are ignorant. They have allowed Murdoch, Beck, Rush, Reagan and Bush to lead them around by their nose. Those people are only interested in NOT paying their fair share of taxes. Their kids go to private school, they live in gated estates, they can afford a health savings account (especially since its a tax shelter).

Consider this, they believe evolution is a theory, man made climate change doesn’t exist, man walked with dinosaurs, and there are ghosts. Mormons believe Jesus Christ walked with Native Americans.

So we trust these rubes with opinions on health care? Get real. How about how much we have spent in Iraq and why Bush got us into that war?

SocialismBad

March 22nd, 2010 12:49 pm ET
“That gives the president an opportunity – and seven months – to make the affirmative case for the health care bill.”
==================================================
The fool has given over 50 speeches, interviews, etc. 14 MONTHS worth of BS and more BS. And this imbecile thinks all it needs is ANOTHER 7 months to convince the American people this fiasco is good for them.

The Amercian people have been more engaged THAN EVER. They know when they are being sold SNAKE OIL by a SNAKEOIL SALESMAN, aka Obama. They have seen their government raid and loot social security and run up an HUGE UNFUNDED obligation. They have seen Medicare near BANKRUPTCY while millions are supposed to be retiring and going on the plan. And now Snakeoil Master Obama wants to sell them yet another multi-TRILLION dolar entitlement plan.

DemocRATS will be near extinction come next November. Obama will be handcuffed by a Republican majority. 2012 will see this one term disaster removed from office in humiliation.

Thus will END America’s brief socialist experiment.

Randolph Carter, I’m no expert but…

March 22nd, 2010 12:48 pm ET
Not surprising, given how misinformed and easily manipulated the average “real American” is. Have a nice day!

Tom in Delaware

March 22nd, 2010 12:48 pm ET
Now the question….will your employer cut you free from your HC benefits and make you buy Insurance on your own and just pay the fine or continue to pay many thousands of dollars more on which you will have to be taxed.

Congratulations America….you’ve been snookered.

Phil

March 22nd, 2010 12:48 pm ET
You actually think Congress cares what We the People think??? All they are worried about is ramming this down our throats so it can go into the history books. If it was such a great plan, why don’t they participate??? I guess giving up their super health plan that WE pay for would be uncalled for. There are going to be plenty of unemployed Congressman come this November.

Sue

March 22nd, 2010 12:48 pm ET
Of course, CNN would not do/post their “poll” before the Democrats were able to shove this garbage down our throats.

Also, CNN can see through their own poll what the majority in the country feels regarding this health care disaster and many other issues–but they continue to cater to the loony left.

CNN will never be successful again……..until it begins to figure out that the majority in the country are moderates to conversative (middle to right)––NOT the loony left.

In addition, based on these polls……..It just goes to show what is going to happen in the November elections.

SoCalGal

March 22nd, 2010 12:47 pm ET
You know, if 59% of the people oppose the bill, that means at least 59% of the politicians as our representatives should have also. Since the politicians appear to be NOT representing their voters, i.e., voting their personal views, they should be immediately removed from office for fraud AND THE PRESIDENT SHOULD BE IMPEACHED!

Judy

March 22nd, 2010 12:47 pm ET
Too bad for the Democrats that they don’t care what the majority of the American people want. They’ll pay the price come November. If they think it’s going to be forgotten by then they are sadly mistaken. November can’t come soon enough. Out with the bums!

Mom in NC

March 22nd, 2010 12:47 pm ET
This bill will be studied for hundreds of years as the turning point of our country: the downfall of the American republic and the start of the American socialist nation. And by the way, what does student loan reform have to do with health care? On the bright side, I am eagerly awaiting the promised deficit reduction and employment increase that will come with this bill! HA!

Jai-hoe

March 22nd, 2010 12:45 pm ET
This congress has already proven many times over the past year that it doesn’t matter what the American people like. That’s why this bill has taken this long to get passed while the job’s bill sits on the backburner.

kd

March 22nd, 2010 12:45 pm ET
this poll is more an indicator of how the right can manipulate the process through lies and at the high level of illiteracy among US citizens when it comes to laws’ benefits and problems.

BS Bill Misleading Americans

March 22nd, 2010 12:45 pm ET
No, the overwhelming majority of American people do not like this Healthscare Plan nor did we want it. This is all about saving the hind of President Obama. Obama’s corrupt, deceiving, threatening tactics will not stand in America. For him to threaten house dems with their career future is unheard of.

The good part is that this is far from over. Obama will not make it for a second term once America see’s just how damaging this bill will be, should it , in the end get through.

J Lewis

March 22nd, 2010 12:44 pm ET
When you say “Americans” what Americans are you speaking of? In other words what percentage of Americans were in this poll and where are they? I am an American and I wasn’t polled nor was anyone I know or related to. Anyone I speak to in the store and/or the mall, at the movies or at a restaurant. No one in my near or far vacinity was included in this “POLL”. So you can’t just say “Americans” you must put a percentage of these “AMERICANS” and where they are to make sense of your so call poll. I am happy it passed and so are most of my polls of Americans that I have asked who are around me everyday and Americans I just pass by in grocery stores, malls, movie theaters and restaurants. Its a move in the right direction, a direction I know a lot of Americans (including me and my family) are numb to since we have been going in the wrong direction for the last 12 years, with the last 8 being the worst I have ever seen in my 46 years on this earth, and as an “AMERICAN”. God bless American and may He keep taking the blinders off of the “Americans” that were in your poll, and allow them to see this is good for all “AMERICANS, not just for the rich and well off Americans.

Jerry – Florida

March 22nd, 2010 12:44 pm ET
OMG! CNN, did you folks just discover this. After watching small parts of your broadcast last night, I am speechless. Most of your reporters and commentators seemed to be in support of President NObama’s health care debacle. Unfortunately, including Dr. Gupta.

Oh well, you know what they say about “birds of a feather”…

Four and The Door

March 22nd, 2010 12:44 pm ET
I just hate what it is going to do to our economy and to the quality and cost of health care. Here are some guarantees:

1. Unemployment will go up. Health care will be too expensive for companies to hire employees.
2. The cost of health care will go up. For everyone except those that get it paid for by the taxpayers.
3. Thre quality of health care will go down. There is nothing in this bill to keep that from happening and everything in this bill to encourage it to happen. More people to treat without the resources being in place or being added. You know how that works out.

Americans just got shafted by political gamesmanship.

Ann Johnson

March 22nd, 2010 12:43 pm ET
Obama has become a dictator. The people have made it
very clear that they don”t want this health care. He has bought
off our represenitives. I will never vote for anyone who voted
for this plain. The majority of the people feel the same way.

.

GI Joe

March 22nd, 2010 12:43 pm ET
If CNN polls were correct, Hillary would be President and the Health Care Bill would have died forever in January.

That’s not a POLL it’s a FACT.

No Incumbents 2010

March 22nd, 2010 12:42 pm ET
It is very easy to brainwash Americans if you spend enough money. That is why the same people who vehemently oppose HCR, were strident proponents of the huge new beauracracy and Medicare entitlement for presciption drugs, Part D, which Bush rammed through Congress. With hypocrisy like this by fiscally irresponsible Republicans, our deficits have been exploding ever since.

forgive me not

March 22nd, 2010 12:42 pm ET
Did not polled me. I love it and so do millions like me! Down with your poll CNN>

DeDe

March 22nd, 2010 12:42 pm ET
You poll 1,030 adult Americans and you say this small sampling speaks for most Americans. Shame on you CNN for taking such a small group and saying they speak for the majority of the population. The American Health Care System is broken and I applaud those who was willing to take a chance on trying to fix the problem.

willard bullock

March 22nd, 2010 12:41 pm ET
Okay iam belived that amercia are keep playing games vote for obama about reform healtth
Amercian are nothing paying for bills cause amercian are keep used drugs ocaine without pay for bill

GI Joe

March 22nd, 2010 12:40 pm ET
I like it, but I’m never polled.

CNNs polls don’t mean anything. NOTHING

kem

March 22nd, 2010 12:39 pm ET
This poll clearly shows that the white house must do a better job communicating the details of the health care reform plan. It isnt enough to generalize the plan and how it will affect us, some people will have to be “spoon fed” the information because they dont trust him. The only way he can convice the people is to implement the plan and it begins to work. He did the right thing.

Adalbert

March 22nd, 2010 12:39 pm ET
Those Americans who do not like this HC bill have been brainwashed by fox and the republicans or they work for the health insurance cartel.
It is not a perfect bill, none of them are, but it is a good start for the working class Americans.

dmrci

March 22nd, 2010 12:38 pm ET
Let’s see, the pharmaceutical sector gets hit with a $2.3 billion tax, the medical device sector gets a $3 billion tax, and insurance companies are expected to waive all pre-existing limits and caps and we’re supposed to believe our premiums won’t increase? I think we’ll be wishing for the days when we thought a 30% increase was ridiculous. I’m guessing we’ll see insurance companies dropping out of the medical business in waves. Hope they accounted for the hundreds of thousands of the newly unemployed that will be created.

Dan Holiday

March 22nd, 2010 12:38 pm ET
Shows you who the democrats really represent. Themselves! Nice job guys. Way to listen to the people.

Joan

March 22nd, 2010 12:37 pm ET
It would be interesting to know what parts of the country were called for this poll, which red or blue states, what time of day the calls were made, exactly how the questions were asked, the ages of the respondents, whether you made an allowance for the majority of cell phone users and whether the person who conducted the poll leans right of left. It is so obvious which wasy the journalists lean when you post stories on this ticker. It is kind of interesting to look at all the polls on sites that list them all. Gallop is the most unbiased and Rasmussen and Fox are so biased they are not even credible. Once people really get to hear the truth about the bill and how it will help them, do a broad, fair and unbiased poll which would be credible.

Ashley

March 22nd, 2010 12:37 pm ET
Bush said he didn’t care about polls, why should Obama?

Stacie

March 22nd, 2010 12:37 pm ET
This poll just proves that many Americans aren’t well informed. The CBO clearly stated it will REDUCE the deficit.

Some people will pay more for health insurance because they will be able to get BETTER insurance: comprehensive medical insurance vs major medical only.

Fed Up

March 22nd, 2010 12:37 pm ET
Does it matter what the American people want? No. The bigwigs in Washington know more than we do. They feel more than we do. They feel our pain. NOT!!! They don’t pay their taxes. Vote ‘em in. Vote ‘em out!

rick

March 22nd, 2010 12:37 pm ET
CNN has become the mouth of the GOP. How many people were asked this question. I for one support health care, and no one asked me.

Felly

March 22nd, 2010 12:35 pm ET
Forget about this poll. When people see the benefits of this health insurance reform, they will embrace it. In 2001, my premium was $100 for a family of 5. Today, I’m paying $600 while my employer matches it with $600 totaling $1200. Right now, it’s mandatory to have auto insurance in Texas. In fact, my car has a better insurance than I do. Shame on the GOP– Obstructionist Party! They care about the unborn baby while discriminating the baby after birth. They have their priorities backward. What a hypocrisy!

LIP

March 22nd, 2010 12:35 pm ET
The majority of Americans don’t agree with Congress…That may be the case, but what we Americans have learned through the years is that Congress doesn’t listen to it’s constituents. They march to a different drummer and think only of feathering their nest.

dan smith

March 22nd, 2010 12:35 pm ET
Now all you IDIOTS that supported this IGNORANT bill can watch the economy really go in the tank and you can be happy knowing that it was all your fault.

amy

March 22nd, 2010 12:35 pm ET
that’s because most of americans are stupid!!

the civilized world is laughing loud!!!!!!!

Europe has had universal healt care for 100 years!!!!

Clay

March 22nd, 2010 12:34 pm ET
If journalists would tell the entire story rather than managing the fight like a Saturday night brawl, then maybe the American people would have a better idea of the benefits this bill will bring them. Instead, you continue to forcast doom for the Democrats – the majority by the way – while expecting what? Success for the Republicans when it was their “flawed” policies that got us into this mess in the first plac? A little truth and perspective would be nice for a change. Perhaps you in the media might consider that sometime.

rachel

March 22nd, 2010 12:34 pm ET
CNN POST

It is quite clear that our elected congressmen and women have forgotten who they work for. Some of them are under the impression that they work for the president instead of their consituents and some of them are under the impression that they work for themselves getting sweet heart deals and perks. I am thinking of voting against every incumbent in my state and district.

March 22nd, 2010 12:32 pm ET
The bill was never posted on the internet.
Obama promised Americans would have
access to all info on bills while he was
running for President.
The Bible is on the net. The book War and Peace
is on the net. The health care bill was never
available to the American people.

Texas Doc

March 22nd, 2010 12:31 pm ET
Its not a “majority” of Americans, its a “majority of Fox…I mean CNN polltakers. NIce try though. It passed, deal with it.

March 22nd, 2010 12:30 pm ET
keep on piling it on Obama. What’s another 10 trillion added to the deficit. We’ll all pay for this. The Chinese are saving our butts right now by buying up the T-Bills – but hey Mr. Obama – what will happen if the Chinese stopped buying them???

call me crazy

March 22nd, 2010 12:30 pm ET
The majority of the people were in favor of health care reform before they took out the public option. That was done to gain republican support, and of course it didn’t. Now the people who wanted the PO don’t like the bill and no one is happy with it.

I think it is a good compromise, and I believe people will come back around and support it in the long run.

Brink

March 22nd, 2010 12:30 pm ET
What percent of people who answered have any idea what is actually in the bill? What percentage of people have any idea how health care finance and reimbursement works? The Administration did a poor job of educating the public on what is in the bill and what the landscape of healthcare would look like with and without reform. This opened the door for special interests and their paid lackeys (the GOP) to spread misinformation and outright lies in order to try to maintain the status quo of health insurance profits. Americans did not like Medicare either, until they needed it. History will prove this to be the the right policy move. Public opinion will eventually change when the public figures out who were for the people of this country and who were out for themselves.

John

March 22nd, 2010 12:29 pm ET
I don’t like it one bit……

in time the Obama-lemmings on this website will realize the mistake….. too bad this had to happen this way. It could have been done so much better than this…. the rush to do it…. I will never fully understand….

The “something is better than nothing” arguement is so weak….. someday people will realize the problems with this bill…. and it’s not all getting ‘fixed’…. I can assure you of that….

It’s just too bad it had to go down with back-room deals and bi-partisan ‘against’ and partisan ‘for’…..

Jack

March 22nd, 2010 12:29 pm ET
Does it matter. After last night’s vote America has surpassed the democracy and entered a period of socialism where we are no longer represented but rather are ruled. Ruled by the professional politician supported by the minority special interest groups. Last night was the death of the individual originally held high within our own Declaration of Independence and Constitution.

Sad time in American history when the politicians believe they know better rather than representing the majority.

Merrick

March 22nd, 2010 12:27 pm ET
Rest assured CNN all the leftists that frequent these boards love the healthcare bill. The Independs like me and GOP members that do not miss voting in elections whether it rains or snows hate the bill. And if you are dumb enough to trust Obama who has not spoke one truthfull word except he would get you Gov. Healthcare. I will be maxing my contributions this year to my congressional member who voted no.

Fair is Fair

March 22nd, 2010 12:27 pm ET
Queue up the O-Blah-Blah supporters with their “I was never polled” comments…

patricia cash

March 22nd, 2010 12:27 pm ET
You need to do a better job of polling . Your polling republican teabagger

awaitingliberalizationbyCNN

March 22nd, 2010 12:26 pm ET
I am waiting for that $2,000 reduction in my health care premiums that Obozo and his Democratic stooges promised. Now that “the children” will be covered by this corrupt monstrosity, does that mean SCHIP and associated taxes that Obozo promisned would cover the “children” be repealed? How come the bill waits so long to tax the “cadillac” health plans of the unions? We know why, I just want to hear what the lying, corrupt liberal explanation is. How is that tort reform going? If Medicare and Medicaid have so much waste and corruption, how come we are just now going after it and exactly how will the go after it? In the mean time liberal liars, I am waiting for my health care insurance premiums to decrease by $2,000. Of course, I noticed my taxes increased this year in spite the great Kool Aid server in the White House saying they wouldn’t. Wait till April 15th, explosion in America when people see what the big lying fraud has done to us. WHERE ARE THE JOBS IDIOTS.

Eddie B

March 22nd, 2010 12:26 pm ET
I am so sick of these polls. They sway like the wind. I guarantee now that the bill is passed the new polls are going to say that Americans are for it. Also, they never poll the low or lower middle class. These same sentiments were expressed about Medicare and now it can’t be touched.

Tram

March 22nd, 2010 12:26 pm ET
BULL! Look, I don’t know where you’re getting your information, but the real Americans where I live want health care reform. We know this one won’t solve all the problems, but it’s the first step. It get rid of the doughnut hole in Medicare – and believe me, that doughnut hole should never have existed. It gets rid of the pre-existing condition nonsense.

Now if this bill charged insurance companies with manslaughter every time they actively sought to deny a legal and valid claim, then that would have been a grand slam for the American people.

ThinkAgain

March 22nd, 2010 12:26 pm ET
The President and the Democratic Party just need to make sure they spread the word – frequently and loudly – of the successes and savings of the health care reform bill.

We all know that Fox and the GOP and all their lackeys will spend millions of dollars spreading their lies and distortions – especially now that they got their way with the Supreme Court ruling saying that corporations are “people” and can give unlimited amounts of money to campaigns.

Pretty sick when our country has a political party whose sole purpose is to make our President and our country fail.

Because think about it, folks: The GOP is planning on doing all it can to make us suffer terribly and then blame the Democrats for our problems – all for the purpose of regaining political control.

To do what? If the GOP is willing to harm us this much to get back into power, JUST WHAT THE HECK DO YOU THINK THEY’RE GOING TO DO TO US ONCE THEY GET THERE?

Hint: A continuation of the tried-and-failed economic, military and foreign policies of Bush/Cheney. Remember them? They started two unfunded wars, brought our country to the brink of economic collapse, real wages went down, jobs went overseas, the Constitution was trampled upon, anyone disagreeing with them was labeled a traitor, and political discourse devolved into schoolyard name-calling and bullying.

You really want that, folks? Wake up and smell the coffee!

The GOP = Party Before Country

dan smith

March 22nd, 2010 12:26 pm ET
Get a job now all you welfare queens out there that supported this garbage of a bill.

J.P.

March 22nd, 2010 12:25 pm ET
There was a vote last night.
Now, we get to vote in November.

Socialist kamikaze politicians are going to be defeated in droves in November.

Then, we repeal this unconstitutional law, *IF* the Supreme Court doesn’t beat us to the punch.

Take a good long look at the Democrat Controlled Congress, because it’s the last one you’ll see in your lifetime.

Rick McDaniel

March 22nd, 2010 12:25 pm ET
On the contrary, personal health care costs will rise significantly, and those who can ill afford to buy health care will be forced to buy it, or will be taxed if they don’t.

It is a huge travesty on the public.

Chuck

March 22nd, 2010 12:25 pm ET
Polls! Polls! Polls! It is quite funny how we all hear about these polls that are taken but everyone that I talk to has never been called for their opinions. Get to the average guy our in Middle American and asked him or her. Most polls average around 1,000 calls. Call thousands of people and see what they think!!!!

The Great Northwest

March 22nd, 2010 12:25 pm ET
The poll must have been taken by CNN at Faux No News.
Your so called poll has a margin of error of 100%.

special kay

March 22nd, 2010 12:25 pm ET
Well, I wasn’t contacted by any pollsters but I DO support the current health care bill (soon to become law 3/23). THANKS DEMS AND MR PRESIDENT!!!!!!

Equality for all

March 22nd, 2010 12:25 pm ET
The majority of Americans don’t understand the bill, or are so afraid of any progressive change to their narrow lives and view points, and therefore don’t like it. Once the real benefits kick in, these same people will be first in line to get their share.

Death Assurance Companies

March 22nd, 2010 12:24 pm ET
Where did they do this poll,Alabama?Polls are nothing more than sheepdogs for the stupid.1005 morons out of 300 million.Wow.

Troy

March 22nd, 2010 12:24 pm ET
Now do a poll on how many Americans UNDERSTAND the bill. Gut instinct says that as comprehension of the language increases, so, too, will approval of the legislation.

vicki San Pedro

March 22nd, 2010 12:23 pm ET
Is there a sale somewhere on crystal balls? Relax, people. The sky is not falling.

some guy in New Hampshire

March 22nd, 2010 12:22 pm ET
People don’t like the bill but several polls find that a majority want the individual changes embodied in the bill. When people stop hearing hysterical politicians talking about killing your granny, they’ll see that the features don’t amount to a federal takeover of health care.

What should concern us is how this is supposedly going to be paid for. More than half the cost comes from cutting payments to Medicare service providers. Can we trust Congress to stand up to the medical industry’s army of lobbyists who will storm the capitol demanding those payments be increased?

Doug,lib jersey

March 22nd, 2010 12:22 pm ET
Your typical lib liar.

Jim – “I am an independent voter and have voted republican for 2 presidents and several senators. but due to the incivility ( use of n word, barney franks sexuality, and calling stupak a baby killer) I will not vote for a Republican this fall.”

Hey Jim its libs like former Klan-grand wizard Senator Robert Byrd D-W. Virginia who use the N word, and Democrat plans at events where people like Sarah Palin speak (same ones who blow up DNC headcorders like in Colorado trying to blame it on the right).

Robert Byrd was a Klan member and racist, you are just an idiot lib Obama-bot sheep!

dan smith

March 22nd, 2010 12:22 pm ET
Nazi Democrats need to be voted out of office as soon as possible.

Kevin in Ohio

March 22nd, 2010 12:21 pm ET
This is no surprise at all….. CNN finally publishes it after we’ve known the distaste for this government takeover for months!

My doctor has already indicated to his patients he will be leaving private practice because of this bill.

And I’m waiting to see if my insurer just plain out bails. If I were them, I would, because there is no longer a viable business opportunity for them.

Maybe one reason former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean and so much of the digital Left can so casually dismiss the Senate health care reform bill is that they operate in an environment where so few people need to worry about access to insurance.

The 2004 presidential campaign that propelled Dean to national prominence was fueled predominantly by “wine track” Democratic activists-generally college-educated white liberals. (In the virtually all-white 2004 Iowa caucus, for instance, exit polls showed that two-thirds of Dean’s votes came from voters with a college degree.) Those are the same folks, all evidence suggests, who provide the core support for online activist groups like MoveOn.org or Dean’s Democracy for America and congregate most enthusiastically on liberal websites. (According to studies by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, college graduates are more than twice as likely as those with only a high-school degree to communicate about politics online.) Along with Dean, those digital Democratic activists are generating the loudest demands to derail the Senate bill.

Some individuals in these overlapping political networks undoubtedly face challenges with access to health care, but as a group college-educated whites are much less likely than any other segment of the population to lack health insurance

This may or may not be what is influencing Dean, but he does have some valid points which deserve an answer, along with some points which have been countered. Considering how similar the current plan is to his 2004 plan which also lacked a public option, it is also possible that the bad blood between Dean and the White House is influencing him on this. This was most evident when Dean was not offered a spot in the Obama administration. (This would not be the first time that Howard Dean has created political waves by attacking someone with a similar viewpoint. During the 2003 fights for the 2004 nomination, Dean repeatedly distorted and attacked John Kerry’s position on Iraq despite the fact that the views of the two were virtually identical.)Regardless of Dean’s motivations, there are some real issues here and I would prefer to see actual discussion of the issues rather than dwelling on speculation over his motivation.

If we must attack Democrats (including Lieberman who still caucuses with the Democrats), it should be the Democrats who are really standing in the way of meaningful health care reform. Ezra Klein points out that Joe Lieberman is responsible for much of the mess we are now in:

Joe Lieberman’s reckless decision to blow up last week’s compromise has had exactly the impact many of us predicted. Much of the left has flipped into vicious, angry opposition to the bill. Is that because the Medicare buy-in, a good but limited policy, has disappeared from the bill? Ostensibly. But not really. If you don’t believe the bill has cost controls, Medicare buy-in was not an answer to your concerns. If you believe the mandate is bad policy, letting the small slice of exchange-users between 55 and 64 choose public insurance did not answer your fears.

But progressives had compromised plenty already. Single payer became a strong public option, a strong public option became a weak public option, a weak public option became Medicare buy-in, and Medicare buy-in became Joe Lieberman’s revenge. Progressive ends are submitting to conservative means, and industry is laughing all the way to the bank. All this amid the first year of a president they elected, a Democratic majority they built…

Lieberman has tossed the process into chaos. But the short-term satisfactions won’t overwhelm the long-term judgments. Lieberman is “point person” because he has appointed himself the 60th senator. Every other member of the Democratic caucus could have done the same, but most all have judged the underlying bill more important than their disagreements with it. Lieberman did the opposite, and there’s little evidence that he actually had disagreements with the bill so much as dislike for some of its supporters.

And Lieberman, let’s remember, is not a lefty blogger. He isn’t a pundit or an op-ed columnist. He is the “point man,” and by choice. He bears a special responsibility. Atop the shoulders of another man, it would make for a heavy load. But not his. His recklessness has endangered the bill, and through it, many, many lives. He may not be ashamed. But he should be.

I agree with Klein’s assessment of Lieberman but disagree with his push to maintain the mandate. Dropping the mandate would appease many on the left (as well as center and right) who now oppose the plan. Previously it appeared that the mandate at least made health care reform simpler. Now, instead of simplifying the legislation, among the many other problems with the idea, mandates to purchase private insurance are causing the greatest degree of friction on the left.

There are many other ways that the legislation could be written to provide assistance to those who desire to purchase private insurance while simultaneously providing disincentives to trying to game the system by holding off on purchasing insurance until one becomes ill. Currently the Medicare D program for prescription drugs is voluntary and, while few turn it down, even Medicare B which covers physician services is voluntary. The bill could provide greater advantages for those who sign up by 2014 which are phased out if people do not enter the system and/or exclusions on pre-existing conditions could be reserved for those who fail to obtain coverage. Obama also should have stuck to his first instincts and maintained the position he held during the primary campaign.

As bad as Lieberman has been during this debate, we must not forget Ben Nelson. Jed Lewison sums up his objections to the plan:

In sum: unless Ben Nelson is bluffing, the only way he will vote for cloture is if abortion is restricted, the subsidies are whacked, the revenue provisions are nuked, and its Medicaid expansion is gutted. Oh, and he doesn’t think there’s any chance of it happening by Christmas.

Compared to this, Dean’s attack on the Senate bill doesn’t look anywhere near as bad. Even David Axelrod has backed away from calling Dean’s criticism “insane.”

Keith Olbermann’s Special Comment on why he believes the Senate health care bill is no longer supportable. I posted more on the various views held on the left here. The transcript of this Special Comment is below the fold.

While there has been some noticeable criticism of Obama from the left, with some even resorting to ridiculous hyperbole claiming Obama is no different from George Bush, Public Policy Polling puts this in perspective:

Our new poll suggests that liberal unhappiness with Barack Obama is still largely anecdotal and not very widespread. His approval rating with liberal Democrats is 95%, with only 3% disapproving of him.

On health care 88% of voters in that group say they’re with Obama and only 7% are opposed. We simply are not seeing any broad evidence of push back toward him from the left for not advocating for single payer.

There is a little more unrest with him on Afghanistan. 68% of liberal Democrats support his approach there with 22% opposed. Even with those who disagree with him on the issue 81% express approval of his overall job performance so it doesn’t seem to be a deal breaker by any means.

Despite the occasional attacks on Obama from the liberal blogosphere, it looks like most liberals are capable of differentiating disagreements on specific issues with overall approval. Besides, most of us never expected to agree with Obama on everything, and realized that the chances that someone who wanted to get out of Afghanistan immediately becoming president, regardless of the merits, was pretty close to zero.

While the Republican Party might have little meaningful to say on today’s issues, you have to concede they sure beat the Democrats when it comes to showing chutzpah. They are making a lot of noise over a report (pdf here) from a CMS actuary which means far less than they are claiming.

The first point of interest is that the Congressional Republicans have event turned to a CMS actuary. During the battle over George Bush’s Medicare Part D program, the Bush administration had threatened to fire a CMS actuary if he reported to Congress about the true cost of the program.

With this report the Republicans were able to obtain the answers they want due to the limitations placed upon the data requested. The report basically says that if you ignore 1) potential cost savings and 2) any increases in any forms of taxes, then health care reform will increase government expenses. You hardly needed an actuary to tell you that.

The report makes many of the same points I have made here in previous posts. Yes, as I have frequently written, health care reform will probably cost more than is estimated. Democrats are not without blame here. They are doing what all politicians do. The Democrats are underestimating the initial costs of their program, just as Republicans underestimated the cost of the Medicare D program and of the Iraq War. It is common for politicians to underestimate the costs of their programs. At least they are not threatening to fire those who present the data as the Bush administration did.

Among areas where the report is consistent with my previous predictions, they note that it does cost more to institute preventive care programs and that the cost savings of these are not clear. As I’ve previously argued, we should spend money on preventive because of its benefits to the country. Potential cost savings are an added benefit, but not the primary reason for spending money to have a healthier population with a longer life expectancy.

The report also is consistent with my objections to expanding Medicaid to provide coverage to the uninsured, noting that patients in Medicaid programs will have difficulties with access to care. Of course the solution to this problem is to spend more money to allow everyone to have private insurance or a public plan which provides benefits comparable to private insurance. It is doubtful that Republicans will agree to this added spending.

Health care reform is largely a matter of how much we are willing to pay and how much government action we are willing to accept to hold down costs. If this was purely a matter of cost, then by far the most cost effective way to deliver medical care would be a with a single payer system modeled on the Medicare program. Republicans try to obfuscate the benefits here by citing projections of future financial difficulties for Medicare if there are no changes. Of course any projections which do not allow for changes over time mean very little. What business would remain in business indefinitely if they never made changes? In addition, much of Medicare’s financial problems come from Republicans-sponsored measures in the Part D program which would be eliminated under health care reform legislation.

Republicans certainly will not accept a single payer plan regardless of how much money it would save. The added irony of their position is that they complain about the cost of health care reform while fighting most of the measures which would bring about the greatest cost savings. They oppose the public option (while a small number of economic conservatives have made a free market argument for the plan). Republicans also oppose plans to take future decisions on Medicare partially outside of the political process, and they even voluntary attack end of life counseling as the creation of “death panels.” Of course health care reform will cost more when the Republicans block most attempts at cost savings. You hardly needed an actuary to tell you that.

The real problem here is in allowing the Republicans to frame the issue as simply a matter of cost. Republicans have so altered the political debate that any consideration of spending more money (unless it involves invading other countries or committing torture) is difficult to bring up, regardless of how beneficial increased domestic spending in some areas might be.

If we frame the issue as one of spending money, then of course the Republicans will win. There is no such thing as a free lunch. If Americans can once again look at the issues as adults, then we can look at the real issues. We have the worst health care delivery system in the modern industrialized world. Any discussion of health care should start from the perspective that the United States should be able to do what the rest of the industrialized world does in enabling all of its citizens to obtain affordable health care.

So far the Republicans have no meaningful answers as to expanding health care coverage. They essentially have two proposals: allowing people to purchase insurance across state lines and malpractice reform. The first is basically a way to allow insurance companies to avoid state regulations which is the opposite of what is needed as long as insurance companies are destroying the individual market by finding ways to deny care. Tort reform should be included in health care reform. We need to take advantage of all possible ways to reduce health care costs without reducing quality or limiting choice. While this should be included, tort reform would only have a small impact on overall health care costs and by itself it is not a solution.

We need to look beyond the question of whether health care reform costs money to looking at the problems which must be solved. Unfortunately the Democrats also reinforce the Republican framing when they make promises which they might not be able to keep to reform health care without raising any taxes on most people. Having a country in which everyone has access to health care, and nobody has to fear that losing their jobs or developing a serious illness might force them into bankruptcy, is something which is worth paying for. If the rest of the industrialized world can do this, the United States should be able to. Republicans are hoping that they can fool enough people with their spin on this report to avoid having to answer the real questions on health care reform.

Ed Brayton and Jed Lewiston mock Sean Hannity’s inane criticism of polls showing support for the public option. Showing the fallacies in Sean Hannity’s logic is always a very easy way to write a blog post.

Obviously Hannity’s objections aren’t worth considering. On the actual topic of polling the public option, results typically show a majority in support but the results vary widely. Part of this is because, as I’ve pointed out in recent posts, there are a variety of ideas which are lumped together under the public option and we don’t yet know which will pass Congress (assuming any form of public option passes the Senate).

Most people have no clue as to the specifics and the wording of a poll influences the results considerably. If you ask about whether people should be offered the choice of a public option (stressing choice) or compare it to Medicare, people are more likely to support it. There was some talk about rebranding the public option as Medicare for Everyone last week but some are now backing away from that idea.

On the other hand support will poll lower among those who believe the fallacies spread by the right, such as that the public option is a back door method of bringing about “socialized medicine,” or that it will be funded by taxpayers as opposed to those who voluntarily choose the option. (On the other hand, there are some to the left of the Democratic Party who are upset with the currently proposed public option because it doesn’t go far enough to be able to eventually evolve into a single payer plan).

I’ve also noted a couple of ironies in the past when considering the opponents of the public option. Conservatives who most complain that the cost of health care is too expensive, or that we cannot afford universal health care, are the ones who are most likely to oppose the public option which would help to keep down taxes.

It is also ironic that conservatives, who speak the most about the free market system (unfortunately in a religious manner which frequently replaces any real understanding of economics in the real world) show so little faith in the private sector that they believe that insurance companies could not compete with a government option. This is especially absurd considering the lengths that the Democrats went through in the hopes of receiving support from the insurance industry to propose legislation which will be highly profitable for the industry. While absurd it is not surprising as the opponents of health care reform from the right generally have no understanding of what is actually being proposed and therefore have no basis by which to judge the effects of heath care reform.

I’ve always thought it was a mistake to include calls for a “public option” in health care reform. I don’t mean the concept of a public option, but the name. The public has been easily mislead about what this actually means. Many even believe that it means they will have to pay for it out of their taxes, in addition to paying insurance premiums, when actually the public option will be financed by premiums from those who voluntarily choose it.

The public option is modeled after Medicare, which is an extremely popular program. Polls have shown that Medicare beneficiaries are more satisfied than those in employer-provided health plans. An irony of the health care debate is that Republicans have conned many seniors to protest against the government messing with their Medicare. Using the example of Medicare is helpful to debunk the conservative meme that government programs never work, with Medicare providing health care to beneficiaries more efficiently than the private insurance industry does.

The public option already does well in most polls. A Washington Post-ABC poll published Tuesday showed 57 percent of the public supports the public option while 40 percent oppose it. Still, it doesn’t hurt to improve popular support even further by stressing the similarity to Medicare. House Democrats are nowtalking of rebranding the program as Medicare E–Medicare for everyone.

This might simply amount to renaming the public option, but other ideas involving Medicare have been around for a long time. Many advocates of a single payer plan have argued that the simplest way to do this would be to go to Medicare for All. Expanding Medicare has often been a part of more conservative efforts at health care reform. As it is typically those approaching Medicare age who have the hardest time purchasing insurance on the individual market, one solution (short of comprehensive health care reform) might to be to allow people at age 50 or 55 buy into Medicare. A public option modeled after Medicare would provide the same benefits without the age restrictions.

The average American might be totally confused about what the public option means but doctors who experience the differences between private insurance and public plans such as Medicare have a clear opinion.

Those of us who work with both types of plans realize that Medicare provides financing of health care for our patients more efficiently than private plans and meddles less in their care. This poll from The New England Journal of Medicine and reported by NPR found that 63 percent of doctors support a combination of public and private options. Another 1o percent prefer a public-only option, or a single payer system. I bet that if there was an active push in Washington for Medicare for All, an even larger percentage of doctors would support it.

In July the American Medical Association endorsed the House health care plan which includes a public option. It remains uncertain if a plan with a public option can pass in the Senate.

Earlier today Steve Benen noted that the Republicans faced what would seem an impossible task in defending the status quo in health care, concluding:

They’ve pulled it off, so far, by telling almost comically-ridiculous lies, and managing to get scared, gullible people to believe them. It’s no small feat. Indeed, it’s almost impressive. Conservatives have managed to create a debate out of nothing but partisanship, paranoia, and greed.

The Post publishes health-care reform stories almost every day as it tracks the twists and turns of the epic debate. So it’s surprising to hear from so many readers who ask: Why hasn’t The Post explained what this is all about?

However, readers say that too many other stories have been about process or politics. That’s coverage The Post must own, of course. Washington is filled with policy wonks and decision-makers.

But readers seem to be saying: What about the rest of us? Over the past month, dozens have called or e-mailed to urge more explanatory journalism.

Many have said that Post stories routinely assume a foundation of knowledge that they simply don’t have. Some said that they don’t understand basic terms like “public option” or “single payer.” They want primers, not prognostications. And they’re craving stories on what it means for ordinary folks and their families.

In my examination of roughly 80 A-section stories on health-care reform since July 1, all but about a dozen focused on political maneuvering or protests. The Pew Foundation’s Project for Excellence in Journalism had a similar finding. Its recent month-long review of Post front pages found 72 percent of health-care stories were about politics, process or protests.

“The politics has been covered, but all of this is flying totally over the heads of people,” said Trudy Lieberman, a contributing editor to Columbia Journalism Review, who has been tracking coverage by The Post and other news organizations. “They have not known from Day One what this was about.”

When people do not understand the basic terminology used in discussing health care reform, and are unclear as to what is in the actual legislation, it makes it far easier for right wingers to spread their distortions. Instead of reading about the details of the legislation in the newspapers, they are hearing lies from a crazy lady writing on Facebook in Alaska and other right wingers.

This is, of course, the media’s characteristic flaw. The bulk of reporters and editors at major political media institutions have almost no understanding of substantive public policy issues. And they conjoin to their ignorance a kind of contempt for people who do understand them. Consequently, people who are interested in such matters tend to be driven out of the institutions in questions. Instead, you get a self-replicating cadre of self-congratulatory and shallow people who enjoy doing this kind of coverage while sneering at people who care about substance.

The bias toward process stories is not ideological in its intent, but it’s strongly ideological in its impact. Creating public confusion and ignorance while obscuring what’s really happening tends to favor elites versus people of modest means, it favors the status quo over change, it favors insiders over outsiders, and it favors narrow interests over the public interest.

This isn’t to say that there is no coverage of the facts of health care reform in the media. It is there if you look for it, and the actual legislation can be read on line. Unfortunately the facts are getting drowned out by the right wing noise machine. Perhaps if a larger percentage of news stories dealt with the facts of health care reform as opposed to process stories, often spending much of the time reporting without comment on the false claims of the right, newspaper readers would be better informed as to the actual facts.

Washington Wire breaks down lists of words which were found to work better with focus groups to sell health care reform. It is not clear whether this lists remains relevant at this point in the debate and to what degree the Obama administration is even following these guides, but they do raise some questions.

Public is found to be a better word than government. Somehow I doubt that conservatives who have a knee jerk opposition to any government plan would feel any better about something called public. This is seen in their opposition to the public option, which is indistinguishable from their expected reaction to a government run option.

Choice and control is seen as preferable to competition. I guess this means that Hillary Clinton’s idea of managed competition is also out.

I have no idea why prevention is seen as good but wellness is seen as bad or why rules are better than regulations.

A choice of public and private plans is ok to say but Medicare for all is not. On one level this makes sense as Obama has rejected a single payer system such as Medicare for all. It would seem that it makes sense to avoid discussing a plan which differs so much from what is being advocated, but maybe not. Medicare is so popular that perhaps people would go along with such a description. After all, even some Republicans have taken up defending Medicare recently, contradicting their earlier views.